Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Sea otters use favourite stones to crack open hard shellfish and clams. The figure is taken from Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Sea otters carry rocks in loose skin pockets under their forelegs

Sea otters use favourite stones to crack open hard shellfish and clams.

Sea otters possess loose folds of skin under their forelegs that serve as natural pockets for storing food and preferred rocks. Floating on their backs, they place a stone on their chest and repeatedly strike hard clam or mussel shells against it to reach the flesh.

Where this comes from

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Tags: sea-otter, ocean, tool-use

Sea otters carry rocks in loose skin pockets under their forelegs: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Sea otters use favourite stones to crack open hard shellfish and clams. The figure is taken from Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.