The Neotropical otter is a
widely distributed amphibious mammal that inhabits the
waterways of Central and South America. It is similar in
appearance to the Northern river otter, and is a member
of the Mustelidae family, which includes badgers, weasels
and otters.
This semi-aquatic mammal's range extends from
Mexico to Argentina. They are adapted to a wide variety
of habitats, including rivers, streams, lakes, estuaries,
swamps, coastal wetlands, rocky shores, canals, drainage
ditches, and seasonally flooded agricultural lands. They
survive in warm or cool climates, and inhabit all types
of forest, from evergreen to rainforest. They have even
been spotted at an altitude of 3885 meters in the Andes.
Neotropical
otters have long, slender bodies with short legs and a
very long, thick tail that tapers evenly to a point. They
are able to stand up on their hind legs, using their muscular
tails as a kind of third leg to help them balance. Their
feet have sharp claws and are webbed for swimming. Their
nostrils can be closed while they swim underwater for minutes
at a time, hunting for fish or other food. Prominent vibrissae
(whiskers) extend from their muzzle and have an important
sensory function, as they help otters feel the movement
of prey in the water even when it's dark or the water is
murky.
Neotropical otters weigh between 5 kg (11 lbs) and
15 kg (33 lbs), with males being 20% larger than females.
They measure from 90 cm (35 inches) to 136 cm (54 inches)
including the tail, which makes up about a third of their
length.
The Neotropical otter's fur is grayish brown to
dark brown, with a lighter colored underbody and throat.
The lighter shade extends to just below the ears and nose
on the muzzle. Their fur has a dense undercoat, which provides
warmth in cold water and in the cool air of high elevations.
River otters have been observed spending a lot of time
grooming themselves, which helps to maintain the insulating
qualities of their fur.
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| Picture
of neotropical otter or long-tailed
otter, Lontra longicaudis, Pantanal, Brazil |
Image #: 102815 |
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Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia/Canoidea
Family: Mustelidae/Mustelids
Genus: Lontra
Specific: longicaudis
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Neoptropical otters eat fish, amphibians,
crayfish, snakes, insects, snails, shellfish, crabs and
other prey they can catch in or near the water. Ninety-three
percent of Neotropical spraint was found to contain fish,
and 78 percent crustaceans. Spraint was often found to
include fruit seeds, indicating that Neotropical otters
function to disperse fruit species. Neotropical otters
use their mouths to catch food, and their paws for swimming,
maneuvering, grasping and digging.
Neotropical otters are
typically solitary and do not generally travel in groups,
with the exception of a mother and pups. Males and females
are only together for breeding. Little is known about the
amount of range they require. They are mainly diurnal,
but where there is human activity, they tend to become
nocturnal.
The dens of Neotropical otters (called holts)
are generally natural hollows, spaces under fallen trees
or rocks, natural caves, or burrows they dig themselves
in riverbanks. They also beat down vegetation to create
spaces in dense vegetation to serve as a den.
Neotropical
otters typically breed in spring, but have been observed
to breed throughout the year. Delayed implantation is absent
in this species, and gestation takes about 2 months. Males
do not have a role in the upbringing of baby otters. Pups
open their eyes after 44 days, begin to swim at 2 and 1/2
months, and reach sexual maturity at about 2 years of age.
They are presumed to live about 10 or 11 years in the wild
or up to 25 years in captivity.
The IUCN lists Neotropical
otters as Data Deficient, due to the difficulty of getting
reliable population estimates. This is a downgrade in a
sense from the Lower Risk/Least Concern designation they
had back in 1996. While they have a huge historical range,
there is no doubt that they are losing habitat throughout
their range. Hunting and poaching are not monitored very
carefully, and pollution is increasingly a problem, so
it is highly likely their numbers are decreasing.
Taxonomists
now put Neotropical otters in the genus Lontra or New World
otters. Previously, they were grouped with Old World otters
in the genus Lutra. Because some sources use the old classification,
Neotropical otters are sometimes archaically described
as Lutra longicaudis. Additionally, there are some presumed
subspecies of Neotropical river otter. The following list
contains Neotropical river otter names that have appeared
in taxonomy databases on the Internet. The list is not
presumed to be exhaustive, and these names are not necessarily
scientifically accepted.
Possible subspecies or alternate
Latin names:
Lontra (or archaically Lutra) annectens -
Major, 1897; Mexico, Central America
Lontra (or archaically
Lutra) enudris - Cuvier, 1823; South America
Lontra (or
archaically Lutra) platensis - Waterhouse, 1838
Lontra
(or archaically Lutra) incarum
Alternate names: Neotropical
River Otter, South American River Otter, La Plata Otter,
Brasilian Otter, Long-tailed Otter, Lobito Comun, Lobito
de Rio, Gato de Agua, Lobito del Plata, Nutria, Loutre
a Longue Queue, Loutre d'Amerique du Sud, Loutre du Bresil,
Loutre Neotropicale, Loutre de Rio, Sudamerikanischer Fischotter
© Neotropical otter information
assembled from on-line sources by Kevin
Miller on June
13, 2008 for Seapics.com.
http://www.otterjoy.com/otterinfo/lontra_longicaudis.html
http://www.otterspecialistgroup.org/Species/Lontra_longicaudis.html
http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=177
http://www.legislation.gov.hk/blis_ind.nsf/da97f6a8ed400207482564820006b580/987c7fbe039703b44825674e000c5acf?OpenDocument |
