All otters are adorable. That’s as much of a fact as the existence of gravity. But among the 13 or so living otter species, none generate as many “Aww”s as Enhydra lutris, the sea otter. These fuzzballs are so cute, in fact, that we often overlook their bad behavior. But what is it that sets them apart? There’s the dense coat of fur and their fastidious dining habits, of course, but they also look a bit different from most other otters. Sea otters have short, round faces compared to their relatives, and that’s all because of their specialist diet. To put it bluntly, I think a crushing bite has given sea otters an edge over their cute competition.

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