Otter, giant

A. C. Gutleb, C. Schenck, E. Staib, Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) at risk Total mercury and methylmercury levels in fish and otter scats, Peru. AMBIO, 26 (1997), 511-514. 

We may find scent marks of the giant river otter. 

Giant African otter shrews, one of the largest insec-tivores, are the most common type of otter shrew. These otter shrews have a head and body length of 11.4-13.8 in (29-35 cm) and a tail measuring 9.7-13.8 in (24.5-29 cm). They have small eyes and ears and flattened muzzles with white whiskers. Flaps covering their nostrils... 

Giant African otter shrews are insectivores, and have several adaptations for an aquatic life. For example, their elongated bodies and powerful compressed tails resemble those of common otters. These adaptations make otter shrews skilled and rapid swimmers. Further, because of their preference for living near water, they commonly feed on freshwater crabs, fish, and amphibians. Although giant otter shrews are somewhat clumsy on land, they can move rapidly. 

Giant otter shrews are found in the rainforest zone of central Africa including Zaire, Angola, Cameroon, and Gabon, at altitudes up to 1,800 ft (549 m). They inhabit wetlands from muddy bogs to clear mountain streams. These otter shrews dig tunnels in stream banks which they enter from below the water level, hi the daytime, otter shrews take shelter in their burrows, and in the late afternoon, they come out to feed and play. 

Dwarf African otter shrews are the rarest species. They are found in Guinea, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast. These small otter shrews prefer to live near shallow water, such as in swampy areas with a lot of undergrowth or small pools of water. Like the giant African otter shrew, dwarf otter shrews eat fish, freshwater crabs and insects, and they are most active at night. 

There are three recies of clawless otter in the genus Aonyx— two are found in Africa and one in Asia. Otters in this genus differ from river otters and the giant otter in havit much smaller claws and in having webbing on their feet that is either absent or does not extend to the ends of their toes. The Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) is the world s smallest otter, measuring just 26-... 

European otter, Lutra lutra, 356,442,488,633 Giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, 479 River otter, Lutra canadensis, 442,465, 510... 

Duplaix, N. 1980. Observations on the ecology and behavior of the giant river otter, Pteronura brasiliensis, in Suriname. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 34, 496-620. 

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