Range: Ocean waters on the western shore of North America and around Japan Habitat: Rock beds, kelp forests, and more in shallow and intertidal marine waters Size: Up to 1 foot (30.5cm) long or more Diet: algae, sea lettuce, and kelp Threats: Octopuses, sea stars, snails, crabs, and more Life span: Two decades or older

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Today on animal fact files we're talking about gumboots. You can learn about all kinds of animals here, don't forget to subscribe. Gumboots are a type of chiton which are marine mollusks who have plated shells. They’re sort of like a gooey isopod, though the two animals aren’t at all related. The gumboot chiton is the largest of the living chitons reaching more than a foot (30.5 centimeters) in length, and they look more like moving rocks, but they are actually alive. In most chitons the shell’s plates are visible, but in gumboot chitons these plates are completely covered by a leathery, skin like coating called a girdle. This thick protective cover helps to keep gumboots safe from predators such as octopuses, sea stars, snails, and crabs and also helps to keep these creatures safe from the sun.

Gumboots live in intertidal and shallow marine waters along the western coasts of North America and around Japan. They’re typically found no more than 60 feet below the ocean’s waves. Gumboots prefer rock beds, kelp forests, or anywhere they can get a bite of some algae. The main diet of a gumboot chiton consists of algae, though they’ll also eat sea lettuce and kelp - why wouldn’t you, the stuff is awesome. Like their relatives, the snails, gumboots use a radula to scrape away at surfaces in order to obtain their food. In gumboots, the radula contains a metallic substance which means gumboots are not only metal, they’re also magnetic. Now iron snails have some competition for the title of the most metal animals!

The name gumboot likely comes from the footwear of the same name, though, personally I’m not seeing much of a resemblance. What do you think? They’re also known as giant fiery chitons which might play into their typically red appearance, or it could be referring to their bright yellow undersides. Gumboots move along a foot that is surrounded by gills. In this fold of their bodies, gumboots may house other animals such as crabs or even worms closely related to the sand strikers we’ve previously talked about. Though gumboots do have gills and they need water to survive, they are able to breathe oxygen from the air, which makes living in intertidal areas a… breeze.

Normally gumboots are active at night, though they can sometimes be found in shadowy areas under rock overhangs during the day. They stick to the surfaces they’re on via suction and don’t do much moving around. In one year they may move no more than 65 feet (20 meters). This does make them vulnerable to predator attacks and sometimes their girdle isn’t enough to protect them. Gumboots are eaten by river otters, but oddly enough not sea otters. Apparently they don’t taste very good, so maybe the sea otters are on to something by not eating them.

Most gumboots are eaten when they’re in their larval form. Breeding is typically performed in shallow waters and begins when females release eggs into the water column in masses of a jelly-like substance. This will stimulate males to release their sperm at the same time and the eggs will become fertilized as they break apart from one another under the influence of the waves. Approximately two days later the eggs will hatch and the larvae will settle to the ocean floor within a day. Throughout their lifetime, if gumboots sustain damage, specifically to their eight hidden plates, they can be repaired over time. If they aren’t messed with, these invertebrates can live to be more than two decades old!

For more facts on gumboots, check out the links in the description. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files.