Marine otters are little-known,
seldom photographed relatives of river otters that occupy
a marine habitat like sea otters. They are the smallest marine
mammal and are found primarily in Chile and Peru on the west
coast of South America. They are endangered and greatly in
need of increased protection and conservation efforts if
they are to survive as a species.
Marine otters live in isolated
populations along the west coast of South America in a
range that extends from northern Peru, through Chile, around
the tip of Cape Horn, to the southeast coast of Argentina.
They may also be found in very small numbers in the Falkland
Islands, where they were introduced (unsuccessfully) as
a source of fur in the 1930s.
Because marine otters are
in the genus Lontra, they bear more of a resemblance to
river otters, their taxonomic cousins, than to sea otters
(genus Enhydra). Like river otters, they nest on land,
whereas sea otters spend almost their whole lives in the
ocean. Nevertheless, marine otters have a similar diet
to sea otters, and they are hunted by many of the same
ocean predators. The marine otter range and sea otter range
do not overlap, as marine otters are found exclusively
in South America, while sea otters are only found along
Northern Pacific coasts. Marine otters have not been observed
using tools like sea otters.
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| Picture
of Marine otter, Lontra
felina,
endangered, Chiloe Island, Chile,
Pacific Ocean |
Image
#: 067846 |
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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia/Canoidea
Family: Mustelidae/Mustelids
Genus: Lontra
Specific: felina
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Adult marine otters are about
1 meter in length (39 inches), including the tail and weigh
about 4.5 kg (10 lbs), which makes them slightly smaller
than New World river otters and about 2/3 the size and
weight of female sea otters. They are not dimorphous, so
male and female marine otters are similar in size.
Marine
otter fur is coffee brown with blond ends, and the underbelly
and chin is often lighter in color than the body. Fur is
course and semi-erect, which may provide some protection
from scrapes in the otter's rocky environment. Their claws
are not especially sharp, and their feet are webbed, as
are those of all New World otters.
Marine otter habitat
is typically an exposed, rocky shoreline where the otters
can quickly find cover in the crevices between the rocks,
or among rock-hugging plants. They dine on crabs, shellfish
and fish, and they will venture into estuaries and upriver
in pursuit of freshwater shrimp. They forage in the daytime
and so are diurnal, as opposed to river otters, which are
generally active at night.
Marine otters are usually found
alone, in pairs or groups of three. They do not appear
to be aggressively territorial, as they tolerate other
otters in their range. Nevertheless, marine otters have
been observed fighting on rocks.
Marine otter breeding
season is December and January, and two to five babies
are born in the months of February and March. Pups initially
stay in their dens waiting for their mothers to return,
but after a few months, they venture out with their mothers,
learning to forage and hunt. They are on their own from
about 10 months after their birth.
Marine otters are the
prey of killer whales (Orcinus orca), sharks and raptors.
In their South American coastal environment, they compete
for food with sea lions, gulls, cormorants, Magellanic
penguins and small cetaceans. Southern river otters (Lontra
provocax) may compete with marine otters for food in areas
where their ranges overlap, but they tend to occupy different
habitats.
The IUCN lists the marine otter as endangered,
with a likelihood of a 50% reduction in their numbers in
the next 10 years. Their biggest threat is loss of habitat.
People are building vacation homes in coastal areas that
were formerly undesirable because they were useless for
agriculture. Home development brings recreational boating
and water sports, which further disturb this shy creature.
Kelp forests, where marine otters forage, are being intensely
harvested for processing into various food products, such
as thickening agents and emulsifiers. Reduction of the
kelp forests brings a corresponding drop in available prey
for the otters. Pollution, such as heavy metal discharge,
and oil spills from the oil drilling industry, continue
to damage
marine otter habitat.
Hunting and poaching have always been
a problem, as an otter pelt can bring a nice price in the
boot making industry. Additionally, some otters get caught
accidentally in crab traps and gill nets, or are simply
exterminated by fishermen, who view them as pests. Marine
otters are ostensibly protected in Chile, Argentina and
Peru, but enforcement is lax.
Alternate names: Marine otter,
Sea Cat, Chungungo, Loutre de Mer, Chichimen, Chinchimen,
Chingungo, Gato de Mar, Gato Marino, Huallaca, Nutria de
Mar
Marine otter information assembled from on-line
sources by Kevin
Miller on May 20, 2008 for Seapics.com.
http://www.otterjoy.com/otterinfo/lontra/felina/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_otter
http://www.otterspecialistgroup.org/Species/Lontra_felina.html
http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=166 |
