Sea Otter Pup Hitches a Ride on Mum's Belly

Photo by Will Wade, via Elakha Alliance, who has a little factoid to start your week:

Female sea otters have the ability to delay implantation of a fertilized embryo. This means after mating, the embryo doesn’t immediately attach to the uterus wall to begin developing. Instead, it stays in a suspended state for several months. This delay allows the mother to time the birth of her pup to the most favorable season when food is abundant and conditions are safer for raising a young otter.

This reproductive strategy helps sea otters maximize the survival chances of their pups in the wild!