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Sea otters stay warm thanks to leaky mitochondria in their muscles

The smallest mammal in the ocean doesn’t rely on blubber or a large body to keep toasty

two sea otters in water

A new study shows how the high metabolism of adult and baby sea otters begins at the cellular level.

Randall Davis (Image obtained under USFWS Marine Mammal Permit No. MA-043219 to R. Davis)

By Jaime Chambers

- More than 2 years ago

Read another version of this article at Science News Explores

Sea otters’ secret to staying warm isn’t in thick stores of blubber.