[61] Giant otters may adopt preferred locations perennially, often on high ground. Giant otters can grow to nearly 6 feet in length and are the largest otter species on the planet. Fish remains were of medium-sized species that seem to prefer relatively shallow water, to the advantage of the probably visually oriented giant otter. The giant otter can grow to more than 6 feet (2 meters) long and 70 pounds (32 kg), nearly twice as large as its American counterparts. May 31, 2013 - A gathered assortment of Pteronura Brasiliensis, the Giant River Otter. [46] Study of captive specimens has found only males initiate copulation. Giant River Otter Fun Facts. [57], The species is amphibious, although primarily terrestrial. An average giant otter will weigh between 22 and 32kg (49-71lbs).. Group hierarchies are not rigid and the animals easily share roles. Giant otters live in family groups which include monogamous parents and the offspring from several breeding seasons. The entire group, including nonreproductive adults, which are usually older siblings to that year's pups, collaborates to catch enough fish for the young. Giant River Otters are huge aquatic mammals that live in the Amazon watershed, as well as many other rivers in the South American rainforest. [55], The species can hunt singly, in pairs, and in groups, relying on sharp eyesight to locate prey. [45], Details of giant otter reproduction and life cycle are scarce, and captive animals have provided much of the information. Stable Threatened Endangered. Well suited for an aquatic life, it can close its ears and nose while underwater. At more than 50 pounds and five feet long each, giant river otters are the largest freshwater otters in the world. Many people find this particular Otter to be different in size and shape from others. Hums and coos are more reassuring within the group. The neotropical otter is active during twilight and darkness, reducing the likelihood of conflict with the diurnal giant otter. [46][47] They then search for new territory to begin a family of their own. Giant River Otter. This species is the largest among all the species of otters in the world, (sea otters , with their more compact body, can weigh considerably more).The males reach a total length of 1.5 to 1.8 m and a weight between 26 and 32 kg.As for females they usually measure 1.5 to 1.7 m in length and can weigh between 22 and 26 kg. [16] (The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is the fourth Lontra member.) [32] Duplaix identified nine distinct sounds, with further subdivisions possible, depending on context. While most Mustelids are small, the Giant Otter reaches a length of five feet (over one and a half meters)! Giant otters served as Yaku runa's canoes. The Latin America Journal of Aquatic Mammals, Vol. [11] The giant otter shares the South American continent with three of the four members of the New World otter genus Lontra: the neotropical river otter, the southern river otter, and the marine otter. However, there are several emerging threats to this sensitive species. [72][73] Water pollution from mining, fossil fuel extraction, and agriculture is a serious danger; concentrations of pesticides and other chemicals are magnified at each step in the food chain, and can poison top predators such as the giant otter. It is the longest member of the Mustelidae, or weasel family, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.7 metres (5.6 ft). [57] In addition, solitary animals and young may be vulnerable to attacks by the jaguar, cougar, and anaconda, but this is based on historical reports, not direct observation. [76] Duplaix returned to the country in 2000 and found the giant otter still present on the Kaburi Creek, a "jewel" of biodiversity, although increased human presence and land use suggests, sooner or later, the species may not be able to find suitable habitat for campsites. Giant river otter cubs are born totally covered with fur; indeed, the species is one of the only carnivores with a fur-covered nose, according to the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The Giant Otter is a giant otter found mostly in South America and is common on the banks of the Amazon River. Prey species found were also sedentary, generally swimming only short distances, which may aid the giant otter in predation. Giant River Otter. Find out more about this beautiful mammal. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. Amazon basin including: Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru. River otters eat 15% to 20% of their total body weight each day. Other water habitats include freshwater springs and permanent freshwater lakes. 10, No.2:75-98. One report suggests maximum areas 28 m (92 ft) long and 15 m (49 ft) wide, well-marked by scent glands, urine, and feces to signal territory. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.7 metres (5.6 ft). Known throughout much of their range as 'river wolf', they are amongst South America's top carnivores. The giant otter ranges across north-central South America; it lives mostly in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal. The Giant Otter is a giant otter found mostly in South America and is common on the banks of the Amazon River. The largest member of the weasel family, the Giant River Otter. Its distribution has been greatly reduced and is now discontinuous. Appearance. The giant otter is large, gregarious, and diurnal. Logging, hunting, and pup seizure may have led groups to be far more wary of human activity. The giant otter is native only to the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata river systems in South America. The river otter is protected and insulated by a thick, water-repellent coat of fur. It is both the world’s largest otter and largest member of the mustelid family, reaching up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length. This makes it easier for the adults to catch enough fish for the growing young, and for the pups to learn how to catch fish. The giant otter is the South American cousin to the sea and river otters of North America, as well as those of Europe and Africa. It can grow up to 2.4m (8ft) long from nose to tail. The giant otter is the largest of all the otter species. [48] Males actively participate in rearing cubs and family cohesion is strong;[49] older, juvenile siblings also participate in rearing, although in the weeks immediately after birth, they may temporarily leave the group. Fish make up most of the giant otter's diet. It lives in the rivers and swamps of tropical South America, forming … The species was listed as endangered in 1999 and wild population estimates are typically below 5,000. In 2004, Peru created one of the largest conservation areas in the world, Alto Purús National Park, with an area similar in size to Belgium. Giant River Otter At more than twice the length of the North American river otter, the giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is quite a sight.A skilled hunter and apex predator, the giant river otter is also very much a family-oriented creature, living in large and often noisy groups along the river banks of the Amazon and its tributaries. To reiterate that last point here is some videos of a group of otters against a caiman , pestering a jaguar , and a lone otter chilling with some caimans . The giant otter or giant river otter[3] An IUCN study in 2006 suggested 1,000 to 5,000 otters remain. The giant otter is the longest of the otter species but shares a similar weight with the sea otter.Male giant otters can attain a length of 1.5-1.7m (4.9-5.6ft). The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), known through much of its range as the 'river wolf', is one of South America's top carnivores and is the largest of the otter species in terms of total length.The muscular, sinuous body is covered with velvety, brown fur, which is dense and water-repellent. The giant otter is the largest of all the otter species. [52] It feeds mainly on fish, including cichlids, characins (such as piranha), and catfish. Giant Otter Pteronura brasiliensis. [64], Even if without direct predation, the giant otter must still compete with other predators for food resources. Females are smaller at 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft). They give birth between August and September, and the young pups emerge for the first time in October and November, which are the months of lowest water and fish concentrations in the dwindling lakes and channels are at their peak. [31] Concern over this endangered species has since generated a body of research. B. brasiliensis and P. b. brasiliensis and P. b. brasiliensis and P. b. paranensis in the Rainforests of South.! Prevalent in the wild at the turn of the world, there are thirteen known species of.... 5 feet long: the otters ' relative fearlessness and tendency to approach human beings not assume that if is! Rocky or sandy bottoms over silty, saline, and La Plata systems... Increasingly isolated in groups, relying on sharp eyesight to locate prey complex of. Group members may aggressively charge intruders, including `` backdoor '' exits into forests and swamps, away from water. People, they are 1 of 4 species of otter - Flickr is almost certainly the online. 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