South American River Otter - Basics!

South American /Southern River Otter 

(Lontra provocax)

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... 

 

This otter shares large parts of it's the marine otter's marine habitat. 

Southern River Otters tend to have a very short life span. Few live to maturity, and only 1% live to 10 years of age. They are generally solitary, coming together mainly to mate. The female raises the pups alone, and there are no social groups beyond this.   They have territories like other otters, but the size of these territories is unknown and it appears that they are not particularly defensive of them.

Status: Endangered and Decreasing

South American River otters live in fresh and salt water habitats along the lower (primarily western) coast of South America, in red in the map on the left.







The habitat range of the Marine Otter overlaps in Chile with the other "most southerly" Lontra-otter, the South American River otter.














Southern River otter in captivity, eating.

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

>   Understanding the inter-specific dynamics of two co-existing predators in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago: the native southern river otter and the exotic American. AEJ Valenzuela, AR Rey, L Fasola, A Schiavini - Biological invasions, 2013

>   Diversity of mtDNA in southern river otter (Lontra provocax) from Argentinean Patagonia

D Centrón, B Ramirez, L Fasola… - Journal of Am Genetic Assoc, 2008

>   Phylogeography of the Patagonian otter Lontra provocax: adaptive divergence to marine habitat or signature of southern glacial refugia? JA Vianna, G Medina-Vogel, BMC, 2011

Marine Otter - Basics

Marine Otter

(Lontra felina)

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... 

 

This otter is second only to the sea otter in it's use of marine environments, only occasionally traveling up freshwater rivers in search of food. 

Marine Otters seem to be the only otter other than the sea otter that do not require access to fresh water to wash themselves. Though Marine Otters tend to be solitary, they are generally friendly (but not highly sociable) with other otters. They do sometimes hunt cooperatively, groups of two or three otters working together to catch larger fish. Also, Marine Otters have hairy noses! (Also known as the Sea Cat)





 

Status: Endangered and Decreasing

Marine Otters (distribution shown in yellow on the map to the left) live along the west coast of South America, from Peru to Chile, with a few noted "around the corner" in Argentina.


They tend to live in diversity rich areas along rocky shores with caves.


The habitat range of the Marine Otter overlaps in Chile with the other "most southerly" Lontra-otter, the South American River otter.













Videos of these agile little otters in the water are amazing to watch!

and on a rocky shore...

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

>   Non-invasive genetic analysis reveals high levels of mtDNA variability in the endangered South-American marine otter (Lontra felina), Juan Valqui (Email), Günther B. Hartl, Frank E. Zachos, 2010

>   Phylogeography of the marine otter (Lontra felina): historical and contemporary factors determining its distribution, JA Vianna, P Ayerdi, G Medina-Vogel. Journal of Am Genetic Assoc, 2010>   The marine otter Lontra felina (): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation,J Valqui - Mammalian Biology-Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 2012
>   The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment,WE Johnson, E Eizirik, J Pecon-Slattery, 2006

Giant Otter - Basics!

Giant Otter

(Pteronura brasiliensis)

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... 

The Giant Otter is the largest (lengthwise) and oldest (evolutionarily) otter living today.

From nose to tail, Giant Otters can be up to 6ft long! Their tails are flattened and flanged, and very strong. Their ears are comparably small, and their eyes very large.  Giant Otters are at the top of their food chain. They eat fish, small caiman (basically alligators), crustaceans, snakes, and birds. Giant Otters are incredibly sociable, and often hunt in groups. They live in family groups of ten or more, sometimes up to twenty otters!

Status: Endangered and Decreasing


The Giant otter range (the area in which the Giant Otter lives) is the central area of South America, especially around the Amazon River Basin and the Pantanal Region.

There are loads of great YouTube videos of Giant Otters out there, but here are a few that we really enjoyed...

Giant Otter hunting...

Giant Otters and a Caiman...

Giant Otter pups at the Los Angeles Zoo

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

>   Genetic diversity and population structure in the endangered giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis

RSA Pickles, JJ Groombridge, VDZ Rojas… - … Genetics, 2012 - Springer

>   Conservation genetics of the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis (Zimmerman, 1780))(Carnivora, Mustelidae),DM Garcia, M Marmontel, FW Rosas… - Brazilian Journal of …, 2007 - SciELO Brasil
>   Social organization and territoriality of giant otters (Carnivora: Mustelidae) in a seasonally flooded savanna in Brazil,C Leuchtenberger, G Mourão - Sociobiology, 2008 -

Sea Otter - The Basics

Sea Otter

(Enhydra lutris)

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...

This species lives in the ocean, along the coast of the North pacific, enjoy! :)

Sea Otters spend their entire lives in the ocean, only leaving the water in the case of extremely bad storms. They are also one of the known tool-using mammals, using rocks to break shells open so they can consume the shellfish inside. It is important that they are able to do this well because they have to eat about 30% of their body weight every day!



Status: Endangered and Decreasing


The Sea Otter range traditionally rimmed the outlying land/islands of the northern Pacific Ocean from Baja Mexico around Japan; currently they are restricted to the sporadic range shown in tan below.

Sea Otters at Seattle Aquarium, eating, playing, cleaning, and watching the tourists!

Live WILD Sea Otter mom giving birth near Monterey Bay Aquarium

PBS's NATURE on Sea Otters

Another PBS documentary, thsi time from Jean-Michel Cousteau!

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

>   Prey choice and habitat use drive sea otter pathogen exposure in a resource-limited coastal system

CK Johnson, MT Tinker, JA Estes… - Proceedings of the …, 2009 - National Acad Sciences

>   Southern sea otter as a sentinel of marine ecosystem health,DA Jessup, M Miller, J Ames, M Harris, C Kreuder… - EcoHealth, 2004 - Springer
>   Foraging patterns and prey selection in an increasing and expanding sea otter population,KL Laidre, RJ Jameson - Journal of Mammalogy, 2006 - BioOne
> Gene transcription in sea otters (Enhydra lutris); development of a diagnostic tool for sea otter and ecosystem health, L Bowen, AK Miles, M Murray… - Molecular ecology …, 2012

Eurasian Otter - The Basics!

Eurasian Otter

(Lutra lutra)

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...

There is a LOT of information "out there" about the Eurasian Otter,

they are the considered the "typical" otter

(just take a look at that genus and species name! ; ) ;

consider this just a brief intro, a sneak peek, at the only otter species 

that can be found on THREE continents!

Eurasian Otters are found across most of Europe and Asia AND in parts of northern Africa. They are always found near water, fresh or salt, as long as there are freshwater pools nearby for drinking and bathing. They tend to live alone except when mating, when the male and female may stay close together for ~ a week, or for females when raising a litter. Though they are excellent swimmers, Eurasian Otters can only hold their breath for about 30 seconds!



Status: Near Threatened and Decreasing


The teal area in the map below shows where the Eurasian Otter is known to exist; it may be found in other small sub-populations not shown.

For our Eurasian Otter videos, we have a treat, one of Questˣ's friends, Andy Coventry, takes some of the most wonderful videos (and photos) of Eurasian otters! 

Here is a link to a video he shared with us recently of 2 Eurasian otters swimming in the River Don, Scotland.

Video about the Eurasian Otter Conservation Program, on otter conservation in Israel

 ...and here's some video from Pembrokeshire,Wales, taken by Dawn and Jim...

...and a white-tailed eagle after an otter's meal off the Island of Mull, watch closely!

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

>   An evaluation of field and noninvasive genetic methods for estimating Eurasian otter population size, P Hájková, B Zemanová, K Roche, B Hájek - Conservation Genetics, 2009
>   Competition between Eurasian otter Lutra lutra and American mink Mustela vison probed by niche shift., L Bonesi, P Chanin, DW Macdonald - Oikos, 2004

>   Chemical contaminants in fish species from rivers in the North of Luxembourg: Potential impact on the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), A Boscher, S Gobert, C Guignard, J Ziebel, L L'Hoste… - Chemosphere, 2010
>   The reintroduction of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) into the Netherlands: hidden life revealed by noninvasive genetic monitoring,HP Koelewijn, M Pérez-Haro, HAH Jansman… - Conservation …, 2010

>   Altitudinal gradient of Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) food niche in Mediterranean habitats

L Remonti, A Balestrieri… - Canadian Journal of …, 2009

Asian Small-Clawed Otter - The Basics!

Asian Small-Clawed Otter

(Aonyx cinereus)

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...

This is the 3rd of the 3 otter species that are found *only* in Asia, !

The Asian Small-Clawed Otter is the smallest of all otter species, and also, arguably, the most social. They mate for life, and live in family groups of between four and twelve, and sometimes up to twenty, otters. The group hunts, plays, and sleeps together. These otters will travel a long distance out of water in search of new habitats. They don't generally dive deeper than their body length in search of food, and spend more time out of the water than most otter species.

(Was also known as Oriental Small-Clawed Otter).

Status: Vulnerable and Decreasing 

The areas in yellow on the map below show where the Asian Small-Clawed Otter lives in southeast Asia. Despite how adaptable they are, they have become extinct in large parts of their original range.

Asian Small-Clawed Otters are very social and gregarious, watch and see for yourself!

 Asian Small-Clawed Otters (India) caught on camera by Wild Otters...

Here are a few clips of a family group kept at woodland Park Zoo (who participates in the Species Survival Plan):

...a group of otters is, appropriately, called a romp... 

...otters interacting with a crow (starts @ 3.20)... 

...nap time at Woodland Park Zoo 

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

>   Conservation of the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) in human-modified landscapes, Western Ghats, India, N Prakash, D Mudappa, TRS Raman… - Tropical Conservation …, 2012

>   Conservation of a river for biodiversity and ecosystem services: the case of the Halda–the unique river of Chittagong, Bangladesh, H Kabir, M Kibria, M Jashimuddin, International Journal of …, 2015

>   Science-driven management of protected areas: a Philippine case study, NAD Mallari, NJ Collar, PJK McGowan… - Environmental …, 2013

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Smooth Coated Otter - The Basics!

Smooth Coated Otter 

(Lutrogale perspicillata)

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...

 

This is one of the 3 otter species that are found *only* in Asia, !

  
The Smooth Coated Otter prefers to live in undisturbed areas. They tend to be nocturnal, sometimes hunting alone and sometimes in large groups. Smooth Coated Otters mate for life, and live in family groups consisting of the mated pair and their pups (often including full-grown pups). Research demonstrates that the alpha female is dominant and determines hierarchy within the group, while the alpha male moves the group through their territory. Smooth Coated Otters are proficient both on land and in water. They are powerful swimmers, and on land they climb and jump quite well.

Status: Vulnerable and Decreasing


The Smooth-Coated Otter (in rust on the map below) is found through southern and southeastern Asia, with an apparently isolated population southern Iraq (it's current status throughout the rest of the Middle East is currently unknown).

Even though they tend to be nocturnal, there are some really good videos of smooth-coated otters:

A smooth-Coated Otter in the wild in India...

A family of smooth-coated otters outside of their den (thank you "Wild Otters")

...and night shots from "Wild Otters"

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

>   Otter populations and their distribution in China–A review, Z Xaohong, P Yoxon, GM Yoxon

>   Shifting Paradigms in Wetland Governance: Shaping and Reshaping Conservation

D Joshi, AR Bhandari 2016

>   Conservation importance of Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area, Laos, for small carnivores based on camera trap data. CNZ Coudrat, C Nanthavong… - Raffles Bulletin of …, 2014
>   Al-Sheikhly, O.F. and Nader, I.A.. The Status of Iraq Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli Hayman 1956 and Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra Linnaeus 1758 in Iraq IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 30 (1): 18 - 30. 2013