| Common Name: | giant river otter, waterdog |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus species: | Pteronura brasiliensis |
| FAST FACTS |
| FUN FACTS |
| ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY |
| Description: | Short coat appears brown when dry and a dark, shiny mocha when wet. Lips, chin, throat, and upper chest exhibit white blotches - which may merge into a single white "bib". Paws are large and webbed. Tail is thick at base and tapers to a dorsoventrally flattened end. |
| Size: | Head
& body length = 864 - 1,400 mm Tail length = 330 - 1,000 mm |
| Weight: | Males weigh 26-34 kg, females weigh 22-26 kg |
| Diet: | Fish and crabs |
| Gestation: | 65-70 days; weaned at 3-4 months |
| Sexual maturity: | approximately 2 years |
| Life span: | approximately 14 years |
| Range: | Historically, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, eastern Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina were included. |
| Habitat: | Slow-moving rivers and creeks within forests, swamps, and marshes. Shows a particular preference for waterways with gently sloping banks and good cover. |
| Population: | |
| Status: | Vulnerable by IUCN; endangered by USDI; appendix I of CITES |
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| 1. | Giant river otters are social, typically forming groups of 4-8 individuals (though congregations of upto 20 indiviuals have been observed). These groups generally maintain a home range of 12 km2. This home range is regularly patroled and marked (via the definitive anal glands typifiying mustelids). |
| 2. | Cubs are reared in a central den area (1.2 - 1.8 meters wide) which connects to an adjacent waterway via a tunnel or series of tunnels. |
| 3. | Nine distinct vocalizations have been characterized, varying from screams of excitement to coos of recognition. |
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The giant river otter has become rare or nonexistent over most of its range. This decline is largely due to habitat loss and commercial fur hunting. Though the fur trade is currently prohibited, hunting does continue. |
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Nowak, Ronald M. Walker's Mammals of the World - Volume I (Sixth Edition) |
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