| |
|
|
| |
| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
|
| COMMON
NAME: |
Congo
clawless otter |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Carnivora |
| FAMILY: |
Mustelidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Aonyx
congica |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| DESCRIPTION: |
Congo
clawless otters are characterized by only partial
webbing (between the toes of their back feet and
no webbing on their front feet), and small, blunt,
peg-like claws. Other otters have fully webbed
feet and strong, well-developed claws.
Clawless otters have slender, serpentine bodies
with dense, luxurious fur and long tails.
|
|
| SIZE: |
Head
& body length: 600-1,000 mm (24-39 in.)
Tail length: 400-710 mm (16-28 in.) |
|
| WEIGHT: |
13-20
kg (29-44 lb.) |
|
| DIET: |
Probably
feed on fairly soft prey items such as small land
vertebrates, frogs, and eggs |
|
| GESTATION: |
Approximately
2 months; Litters of 2-3 pups |
| NURSING
DURATION: |
Clawless otters open their eyes at about 40 days,
and first swim at 9 weeks. They take their first
solid food at about 80 days. |
|
| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
Probably
at about 12 months |
|
| LIFE
SPAN: |
Probably
an average of 10-15 years |
|
| RANGE: |
In
central equatorial Africa; from southeastern Nigeria
to Gabon, down to Uganda and Burundi. |
|
| HABITAT: |
Appear
to inhabit only small, mountain streams in areas
of thick rain forest and lowland swamps. They are
thought to be more terrestrial in nature than other
otter species. |
|
| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
|
| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Density
Dependent |
| CITES |
Appendix
I |
| USFWS |
Endangered |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1. |
Very
little is known about this species. It is a small
otter and found only in the mid-part of Africa,
in the tropical belt. It is believed to spend much
more time on land than other otters. |
|
|
| 2. |
Congo clawless otters are one of 13 species of otters
in the carnivore family Mustelidae. Other members
of this family include weasels, skunks, and ferrets. |
|
|
| 3. |
An individual otter maintains a territory. Otters
mark their territories with scent, and fervently
patrol and defend their territories. |
|
|
| 4. |
Clawless otters have very sensitive forepaws. They
use their forepaws for foraging. |
|
|
| 5. |
The Congo clawless otter actually does have small
claws on all of its digits. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| All
otters have been exploited for their thick, velvety
fur. All species of otters are protected by the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) - a worldwide
treaty developed in 1973 to regulate trade in wildlife
species.
Due
to commercial hunting for meat and fur, Congo
clawless otter population numbers have undergone
severe declines especially in Nigeria and Cameroon.
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Nowak,
Ronald M. (ed.). Walker's Mammals of the World.
Vol. I. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1999. |
|
| Parker,
S. (ed.). Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Mammals.
Vol. IV. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co.,
1990. |
|
| IUCN
Redlist: http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=1794 |
|
|
|
|
|
