Morphometric measurements and reproductive and dependency status for sea otters captured or collected in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), 1947-2019.
", "details": "Source: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9Q5PD3Y
", "learn_more": "http://data-dict.tidyverse.org/", "tables": [ { "name": "otters", "description": "One row per otter. Of the 4,507 otters, 113 have measurements from more than one capture or collection event.
", "source": { "parquet": "otters.parquet" }, "columns": [ { "name": "otter_no", "description": "Identifier assigned by researchers. Naming conventions vary by location and period, but identifiers are not reused. Two unnamed measured pups were assigned synthetic-1 and synthetic-2 during cleaning.
Sex recorded for the otter.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "M", "F", "U" ], "value_labels": { "F": "Female", "M": "Male", "U": "Unknown" } }, { "name": "recap", "description": "Whether the otter was recorded as recaptured. This agrees with the number of measurements rows except for SW-155, which is marked as recaptured but has one row, and SO-04-05a, which is marked as captured once but has two. The latter's 2008-05-18 row may belong to pup SO-04-05b.
One row per capture or collection event. An otter caught more than once has multiple rows. This includes 173 dependent-pup measurements separated from fields on the accompanying female's record during cleaning.
", "source": { "parquet": "measurements.parquet" }, "columns": [ { "name": "measurement_id", "description": "Identifier assigned during cleaning to each capture or collection event. Values run from 1 to 4,643 and have no source-data meaning.
", "type": "number(id)", "constraints": [ "primary_key", "unique", "required" ], "referenced_by": [ { "table": "replicates", "column": "measurement_id" }, { "table": "fetuses", "column": "measurement_id" } ], "examples": [ 1, 1200, 2500, 4000, 4643 ] }, { "name": "otter_no", "description": "Identifier of the otter captured or collected.
", "type": "string", "constraints": [ "foreign_key", "required" ], "references": { "table": "otters", "column": "otter_no" }, "examples": [ "67001", "70066", "90-044", "KOD-04-135", "SW-155" ] }, { "name": "date", "description": "Date of capture or collection. Together with otter_no, this identifies an event except for KWK-59-162: a post-captivity weighing appears to retain the original capture date rather than the weighing date of 1959-05-13.
Local place name for the capture or collection site. See locations for its region and area.
Latitude of capture or collection location in decimal degrees (WGS84).
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 51.3721, "max": 60.7025 } }, { "name": "long", "description": "Longitude of capture or collection location in decimal degrees (WGS84).
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": -178.964, "max": 179.3966 } }, { "name": "weight", "description": "Otter weight in kilograms.
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 0.8, "max": 45.4 } }, { "name": "tail_lgth", "description": "Mean tail length in centimeters. Individual measurements are in replicates.
Whether length was measured along the curve of the back rather than in a straight line. The source recorded this as the 0.974 conversion factor, which is already applied in true_standard_lgth. It is unknown for the 173 dependent-pup events separated from their mother's record during cleaning.
Mean standard length including the tail, in centimeters. Individual measurements are in replicates; four events have a value only here.
Length including the tail, standardized across measurement protocols, in centimeters. It equals lgth for standard measurements and curve_lgth multiplied by 0.974 for curvilinear measurements.
Body length excluding the tail, in centimeters, calculated as true_standard_lgth - tail_lgth. Available for the 401 events where both values are known.
Curvilinear length including the tail, in centimeters. It was measured once per event and therefore has no rows in replicates.
Unidentified length in centimeters, named CURVE_LGTH2 in the source but not a replicate of curve_lgth. Its 21 values are from 2006-03-29 to 2006-04-08 at nknight and montague and exceed curve_lgth by 12-23 cm. What was measured is unknown.
Mean chest circumference at the xiphoid, in centimeters. Individual measurements are in replicates.
Maximum front-paw width in millimeters.
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 34.0, "max": 63.0 } }, { "name": "w_pup", "description": "Dependency status at capture or collection. Y without a pup_number means a pup was seen but not identified; 251 events have this combination, and those pups have no rows of their own.
Identifier of the dependent pup accompanying the female. Measurements stored on the female's source record were separated into an event for the pup during cleaning.
", "type": "string", "constraints": [ "foreign_key" ], "references": { "table": "otters", "column": "otter_no" }, "examples": [ "67002", "92-198", "KOD_04_121", "SO-08-20", "SO-98-50a" ] }, { "name": "fetus_pres", "description": "Fetal presence at collection. The code matches the number of related fetuses rows: none for N, one for Y, and two or three for M.
Reproductive condition recorded for a female.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "IMP", "UNI", "ANE", "EST", "POS", "PRO", "FAI" ], "value_labels": { "ANE": "Anestrous", "EST": "In estrous", "FAI": "Pregnancy failure (resorption or possible abortion)", "IMP": "Implanted pregnant", "POS": "Postpartum", "PRO": "In proestrus", "UNI": "Unimplanted pregnant" } }, { "name": "fe_rep_sta", "description": "Parity recorded for a collected female.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "N", "M", "P" ], "value_labels": { "M": "Multiparous", "N": "Nulliparous", "P": "Primiparous" } }, { "name": "pregnancy_status", "description": "Pregnancy status at capture or collection.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "NP", "U", "NPP", "P", "PP" ], "value_labels": { "NP": "Not pregnant at collection or capture", "NPP": "Not palpably pregnant at capture", "P": "Fetus present at collection or palpably pregnant at capture", "PP": "Not documented in the source metadata", "U": "Unknown" } }, { "name": "can_dia", "description": "Maximum canine-tooth diameter at the gum line, in millimeters.
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 2.9, "max": 11.1 } }, { "name": "final_age", "description": "Age at capture or collection, in years, based on known age, tooth cementum, or a field estimate.
", "type": "number(ordinal)", "range": { "min": 0, "max": 23 } }, { "name": "age_category", "description": "Broad age class at capture or collection.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "<1", "1-2", "3-10", ">10" ], "value_labels": { "1-2": "1-2 years", "3-10": "3-10 years", "<1": "Less than 1 year", ">10": "Greater than 10 years" } }, { "name": "bacula_lgth", "description": "Baculum length in centimeters, recorded for males.
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 2.2, "max": 21.6 } }, { "name": "comments", "description": "Free-text notes about the otter or event.
", "type": "string", "examples": [ "given 92-114", "died summer 1997", "originally 84-001", "pup < 8 wks later but preg missed at capture" ] }, { "name": "cause_of_death_capture_method", "description": "Capture or collection method.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "live capture", "harvest", "captivity", "beach" ], "value_labels": { "beach": "Captured off a beach", "captivity": "Measured after some time in captivity", "harvest": "Collected via harvest", "live capture": "Typical live capture" } } ] }, { "name": "replicates", "description": "One row per individual tail-length, standard-length, or girth measurement. Tail length has multiple measurements for 287 of 403 events, standard length for 160 of 2,269, and girth for 4 of 1,052. Replicated tail lengths differ by a median of 0.5 cm.
", "source": { "parquet": "replicates.parquet" }, "columns": [ { "name": "measurement_id", "description": "Identifier of the capture or collection event.
", "type": "number(id)", "constraints": [ "primary_key", "foreign_key", "unique", "required" ], "references": { "table": "measurements", "column": "measurement_id" }, "examples": [ 2071, 2476, 3031, 3686, 4397 ] }, { "name": "quantity", "description": "Measurement type. The corresponding measurements column contains the mean for the event.
Sequence number in source order, starting at 1. Girth has at most two measurements per event.
", "type": "number(ordinal)", "constraints": [ "primary_key", "unique", "required" ], "range": { "min": 1, "max": 3 } }, { "name": "value", "description": "Measurement in centimeters, recorded to one decimal place. See quantity for type-specific ranges.
One row per named capture or collection place, with its region and area.
", "source": { "parquet": "locations.parquet" }, "columns": [ { "name": "location", "description": "Place name recorded for capture or collection events.
", "type": "string", "constraints": [ "primary_key", "unique", "required" ], "referenced_by": [ { "table": "measurements", "column": "location" } ], "examples": [ "adak", "chiniak bay", "kiska", "SE - whale bay", "yukon island" ] }, { "name": "region", "description": "Alaska region containing the place; a region may contain multiple areas.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "west aleutians", "east aleutians", "AK peninsula", "kodiak", "lower cook inlet", "PWS", "SE" ], "value_labels": { "AK peninsula": "Alaska Peninsula", "PWS": "Prince William Sound", "SE": "Southeast Alaska", "east aleutians": "Eastern Aleutian Islands", "kodiak": "Kodiak Island", "lower cook inlet": "Lower Cook Inlet", "west aleutians": "Western Aleutian Islands" } }, { "name": "area", "description": "Alaska area containing the place.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "near islands", "rats", "delarofs", "andreanofs", "fox islands", "WAP", "EAP", "shuyak", "afognak", "kodiak", "kachemak", "WPWS", "EPWS", "NSE", "CSE", "SSE" ], "value_labels": { "CSE": "Central Southeast Alaska", "EAP": "Eastern Alaska Peninsula", "EPWS": "Eastern Prince William Sound", "NSE": "Northern Southeast Alaska", "SSE": "Southern Southeast Alaska", "WAP": "Western Alaska Peninsula", "WPWS": "Western Prince William Sound", "afognak": "Afognak Island", "andreanofs": "Andreanof Island group", "delarofs": "Delarof Island group", "fox islands": "Fox Island group", "kachemak": "Kachemak Bay", "kodiak": "Kodiak Island", "near islands": "Near Island group", "rats": "Rat Island group", "shuyak": "Shuyak Island" } } ] }, { "name": "fetuses", "description": "One row per fetus found in a collected female. A collection with multiple fetuses has multiple rows.
", "source": { "parquet": "fetuses.parquet" }, "columns": [ { "name": "measurement_id", "description": "Identifier of the collection event at which the fetus was found.
", "type": "number(id)", "constraints": [ "primary_key", "foreign_key", "unique", "required" ], "references": { "table": "measurements", "column": "measurement_id" }, "examples": [ 15, 759, 1329, 1830, 3696 ] }, { "name": "fetus_num", "description": "Index distinguishing fetuses within a collection, numbered from 1 in no meaningful order; it is not a fetus count.
", "type": "number(ordinal)", "constraints": [ "primary_key", "unique", "required" ], "range": { "min": 1, "max": 3 } }, { "name": "fetus_sex", "description": "Sex recorded for the fetus.
", "type": "enum", "values": [ "M", "F", "U" ], "value_labels": { "F": "Female", "M": "Male", "U": "Unknown" } }, { "name": "fetus_wt", "description": "Fetal weight in grams.
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 0.1, "max": 2112.0 } }, { "name": "fetus_lth", "description": "Fetal length in centimeters.
", "type": "number(quantity)", "range": { "min": 0.3, "max": 65.0 } } ] } ], "relationships": [ { "description": "Links each otter to its capture or collection events.
", "cardinality": "many-to-one", "declared_cardinality": "one-to-many", "pairs": [ { "left": { "table": "measurements", "column": "otter_no" }, "right": { "table": "otters", "column": "otter_no" } } ], "join": "otters.otter_no = measurements.otter_no" }, { "description": "Links an event to its individual tail-length, standard-length, and girth measurements. The 2,370 events with none of these measurements have no related rows.
", "cardinality": "many-to-one", "declared_cardinality": "one-to-many", "pairs": [ { "left": { "table": "replicates", "column": "measurement_id" }, "right": { "table": "measurements", "column": "measurement_id" } } ], "join": "measurements.measurement_id = replicates.measurement_id" }, { "description": "Links a collection event to fetuses found in the female.
", "cardinality": "many-to-one", "declared_cardinality": "one-to-many", "pairs": [ { "left": { "table": "fetuses", "column": "measurement_id" }, "right": { "table": "measurements", "column": "measurement_id" } } ], "join": "measurements.measurement_id = fetuses.measurement_id" }, { "description": "Links an event to the region and area containing its location.
", "cardinality": "many-to-one", "declared_cardinality": "many-to-one", "pairs": [ { "left": { "table": "measurements", "column": "location" }, "right": { "table": "locations", "column": "location" } } ], "join": "measurements.location = locations.location" }, { "description": "Links an event involving a female with a named dependent pup to that pup. Each of the 388 named pups has an otters row; when pup measurements are available, they appear in the pup's own same-day measurements row.
Length measured along the curve of the back while the otter lies on its stomach, used primarily during experimental harvests from 1967 to 1971.
" }, { "term": "standard length", "definition": "Straight-line length measured while the otter lies on its back, used from 1947 to 1963 and from 1986 to 2019.
" }, { "term": "true standard length", "definition": "Length standardized across protocols: standard length is unchanged, while curvilinear length is multiplied by 0.974.
" }, { "term": "experimental harvest", "definition": "Controlled collection of sea otters for research, primarily during the 1960s and 1970s.
" }, { "term": "nulliparous", "definition": "A female that has never given birth.
" }, { "term": "primiparous", "definition": "A female that has given birth once.
" }, { "term": "multiparous", "definition": "A female that has given birth multiple times.
" }, { "term": "baculum", "definition": "Penile bone, whose length can be used to estimate age class.
" }, { "term": "xiphoid", "definition": "Lower portion of the sternum, used as the landmark for girth measurements.
" } ] }