Savvy with tools (15092573950)

Sea otters live in shallow coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean. They are among the select group of animals known to use tools. They use rocks or other objects to pry shellfish from hard surfaces and to hammer them open, or as an anvil against which to break their shells. Tool use is not limited to natural objects, though, so be careful what you leave behind. Here a sea otter has used a discarded bottle as an anvil to break open a mussel. After four or five strikes, the bottle broke, but fortunately the otter was unharmed. Photo courtesy of Joe Tomoleoni/USGS.