Otters Giant Otters Pteronura brasiliensis They are in the family mustelidae the weasel family They all

ll have 5 toes on all feet, usually have long slinky bodies and short legs (good for getting into burrows and holes e.g. tayras, weasels, badgers and.....otters. General description They are 1.5 2m in length (longer than all other species, hence the name giant, although sea otters are heavier) The Spanish name Lobos de rio means wolves of the river They are dark brown with light patches on their throat They are adapted to hunting in water they have webbed feet, sensitive whiskers for picking up changes in water pressure caused by fish movements and flat broad tails to power them. They are also streamlined and have water-proof fur. They live in rivers, creeks, lakes, reservoirs, marshes and flood forest

Life style Two obvious things: They live in groups (rarely solitary). Living in a group provides greater protection against predators (e.g. caiman) and possibly enables them to hunt during the day rather than at night like other species of otters. Family groups consist of a mated pair and their offspring, the young from 2-3 years. When they move together they can be very vocal using loud high-pitched hums, whistles or squeals. They are diurnal i.e. they are active during the day. Otters in other parts of the world are usually nocturnal so we dont see them. Here they are active during the day, which means we have a greater chance of seeing them!

What do they eat? Fish, crayfish, crabs They can kill and eat other vertebrates e.g. snakes, caiman Sometimes they climb out onto the bank or a half submerged log to eat a fish or otherwise they eat whilst swimming on their banks.

Life-cycle The gestation period (pregnancy) is 65 to 72 days 1-4 cubs are born Cubs are weaned at 6 months, they start swimming at 3 months Juveniles (6 months to one year) still rely on adults for sustenance Sub-adults (1 2 years) are equally in size to adults but are not yet sexually mature At two years they are sexually mature adults They generally live until they are 8 years old.

Transients Animals that leave the family group are called transients They are sexually mature, however some individuals will stay in the family group until they are five years old before they disperse (some never leave!)

Signs what do we look for when we are surveying for otters? The otters themselves. Campsites these are used for defecating, scent marking, drying out, grooming and resting. They often smell fishy! They are above the water level, next to water bodies. They are usually prominent in highly visible locations e.g. river confluences. Spraints (basically shit!) they are dark green, full of fish scales and thick mucus Dens They have one or more tunnels leading to one or more oval chambers into the bank, sometimes they have submerged entrances. The otters are communal, they all sleep in one den. Scratch walls areas of clay along the river bank that the otters use as scratch walls. Tracks Five toed tracks, although sometimes the fifth toe does not leave a mark. Webbing can also be seen between the toes. Why are they endangered? It is estimated that there are only 1,000 3,000 left in the wild. Why? They were hunted for their fur in the 1950s 1970s. They are very noisy and easily found, making them easy to hunt. Now they are only found in isolated patches of its former range. They used to range from Venezuela to Northern Argentina. They were thought to be competition with man for fish They habitat is being degraded and destroyed their habitat is more specific than some other animals. Now we are also looking into the affects of eco-tourism and its potential affects.

Research. What is being done? Current survey work is trying to assess the extent of their distribution, assess the potential threats to their survival and to identify potential for conservation management. How? Each individual has a different pattern of cream markings on its neck/throat, these are unique like a fingerprint and can be used to identify individuals. Using this we can try and gauge how many there are and how they interact with each other. But there are still lots of un-answered questions e.g. Transient behaviour dispersal patterns, we dont know much about this; distances travelled, how do they find partners? How are relationships between non-related individuals? Is it standard to have one reproductive pair per group?

The accumulation of mercury up the food chain is this affecting otters?

Research is currently co-ordinated by the Frankfurt Zoological Society. Research here Each time we go to the lake we record if otters have been seen, how many, where and their behaviour. We are also trying to collect photographs of the neck makings so we can attempt to identify individuals. This all gets fed back to the FZS. How you can help the research If you get a photograph of the neck markings please let us know. We are trying to see how many we have on our lake and learn where they go when they leave the family group. Enjoy your walk and I hope you get to see the otters!