Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Congo Clawless Otter - The Basics

Congo Clawless Otter 
(Aonyx congicus)

As promised, the posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a vid or 2...
We hope you enjoy! :)  


 
The Congo Clawless Otters' back feet have small claws on the three middle toes, and very little webbing. The front feet have very small claws and no webbing. The front paws are very sensitive, like those of its close relative the Cape Clawless Otter, to increase it's success in finding food under rocks and in the mud.  Their short fur (providing less insulation) and the abbreviated webbing of its feet make the Congo Clawless Otter the otter least adapted for life in the water. Congo Clawless Otters are mostly solitary, only interacting with other otters when monogamous pairs come together to mate.



Status: Near Threatened and Decreasing.










The Congo Clawless Otter is native to the Congo Region of southern Africa, as shown in purple on  the map to the left.



The Congo Clawless Otter's habitat is mostly surrounded by the habitat of Cape (african) Clawless Otter and overlaps with parts of the Spotted-necked Otter's habitat..





Video from research done on the Congo Clawless Otter (Davenport, et al... 2011)



Naia, an orphaned and partially paralyzed Congo Clawless Otter, rehabbing during her first BIG SWIM, 2013!


If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:


>   Local hunting of carnivores in forested Africa: a meta-analysis, 2014

>   Divergent Skull Morphology Supports Two Trophic Specializations in Otters (Lutrinae)

Diet, foraging behaviour and coexistence of African otters and the water mongoose, DT Rowe-Rowe, MJ Somers, 1998

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