SEA OTTERS written and illustrated by...

SEA OTTERS written and illustrated by John A. Love (Fulcrum Press: $12.95; 148 pp., paperback original). Unlike other marine mammals that rely on layers of blubber to keep them warm, sea otters depend on their extraordinarily lush fur--an anomaly that almost caused their extinction. Hunters scoured the coasts of Siberia, Alaska and California for the “soft gold” of otter pelts until only a few hundred animals remained. Scottish biologist John Love offers a fond introduction to the history and biology of these appealing animals. Although sea otters have been successfully reestablished in many of their original habitats and are now popular tourist attractions in coastal towns, Love notes that they still face serious threats from unchecked coastal development, poachers and pollution, especially oil spills.