Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus 1758)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Carnivora, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 532-628 : 602

Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus 1758)

[Mustela] lutris Linnaeus 1758 , Syst. Nat., 10th ed., Vol. 1: 45 .

Type Locality: "Asia et America septentrionali," restricted by Thomas (1911 a), to" Kamtchatka ", then by Heptner et al. (1967:884) to "Commander Isls" [ Russia]. Roest (1973) listed the type locality as "the east central coast of Kamchatka, opposite the Commander Islands" [ Russia] .

Vernacular Names: Sea Otter.

Subspecies: :

Subspecies Enhydra lutris subsp. lutris Linnaeus 1758

Subspecies Enhydra lutris subsp. kenyoni Wilson 1991

Subspecies Enhydra lutris subsp. nereis Merriam 1904

Distribution: Canada, Russia (Sakhalin Isl, Kurile Isls, Commander Isls, Kamchatka), USA (Aleutian Isls, and S Alaska to California). Formerly in Japan (coastal Hokkaido) and Mexico (Baja California).

Conservation: CITES – Appendix I as E. l. nereis; otherwise Appedix II. U.S. ESA – Threatened as E. lutris nereis in all of its range except for areas subject to U.S. jurisdiction south of Pt. Conception, CA (34°26.9' N. Lat.), where it is listed as an Experimental Non Essential Population; U.S. ESA – Candidate taxon as E. l. kenyoni; IUCN – Endangered.

Discussion: Reviewed by Roest (1973), Davis and Lidicker (1975), Estes (1980), and Wilson et al. (1991). Synonyms allocated according to Wilson et al. (1991).