[5] In Spanish, river wolf (Spanish: lobo de río) and water dog (Spanish: perro de agua) are used occasionally (though the latter also refers to several different animals) and may have been more common in the reports of explorers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. [16], An extinct genus, Satherium, is believed to be ancestral to the present species, having migrated to the New World during the Pliocene or early Pleistocene. This otter is the largest member of the family Mustelidae, clearly distinguished from other South American otter species by morphological and behavioural characteristics. The giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is the largest member of the mustelid family, which includes otters, weasels, and ferrets, and are by far the loudest member of the group.Giant river otters are very sociable and live in families of between 3-10 individuals that hunt together. Whistles may be used as advance warning of nonhostile intent between groups, although evidence is limited. The Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest otter species and the giant otter and sea otter are the largest. Giant Otter – Pteronura brasiliensis Description. This species does not store food. [82], In Suriname, the giant otter is not a traditional prey species for human hunters, which affords some protection. [17] Carter and Rosas found average areas a third this size. Strolling from their dwelling down to the river, the parents supervise as older siblings play with the youngsters, frolicking in the water and on the banks. [72] Duplaix relates the story of an Arawak Indian who took two pups from their parents. They are part of the otter subfamily Lutrinae, which are part of the Mustelidae family. They noted that the species may be the basal divergence among the otters or fall outside of them altogether, having split even before other mustelids, such as the ermine, polecat, and mink. 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. [2] Typically, loggers first move into rainforest, clearing the vegetation along riverbanks. In Spanish, river wolf (Spanish: [lobo de río] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) and water dog (Spanish: [perro de agua] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) are used occasionally, though the latter has many other meanings) and may have been more common in the reports of explorers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. [40] One tentative theory for the development of sociality in mustelids is that locally abundant, but unpredictably dispersed, and prey causes groups to form. The park harbors many endangered plants and animals, including the giant otter, and holds the world record for mammal diversity. [57] Carter and Rosas have found captive adult animals consume around 10% of their body weight daily—about 3 kilograms (7 lb), in keeping with findings in the wild. Players are allowed to have 6 giant otters per enclosure: With a streamlined body and webbed feet, this otter is a great swi… [47] The animal reaches sexual maturity at about two years of age and both male and female pups leave the group permanently after two to three years. Males are between 1.5 and 1.7 m (4.9 and 5.6 ft) in length from head to tail and females between 1 and 1.5 m (3.3 and 4.9 ft). [21][22] Early reports of skins and living animals suggested exceptionally large males of up to 2.4 m (7.9 ft); intensive hunting likely reduced the occurrence of such massive specimens. It lives only in the rivers and creeks of the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata river systems. 671 Sample size Small Data quality Acceptable Observations. Atypical of mustelids, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. The Giant Otter features a very long body, similar to that of a weasel. The giant otter is the largest and the second heaviest (the sea otter is the heaviest) of the Mustelidae or weasel family. The giant otter has the shortest fur of all otter species; it is typically chocolate brown, but may be reddish or fawn, and appears nearly black when wet. Utreras[61] presumed habitat requirements and availability would differ dramatically in the rainy season: estimating range sizes of 1.98 to as much as 19.55 square kilometres (0.76 to 7.55 sq miles) for the groups. The IUCN listed the giant otter as "endangered" in 1999; it had been considered "vulnerable" under all previous listings from 1982 when sufficient data had first become available. The giant otter is a member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, in the Mammalian Order of Carnivora. The giant otter subsists almost exclusively on a diet of fish, particularly characins and catfish, but may also eat crabs, turtles, snakes and small caiman. They have a gestation period of between 9-10 weeks and usually give birth to 1-3 cubs. They reach adult size at 9 to 10 months old. Giant otters are [24] Giant otters use these marks to recognize one another, and upon meeting other otters, they engage in a behavior known as "periscoping", displaying their throats and upper chests to each other. Native to South America the Giant Otter is the longest member of the Mustelidae (weasel) family, growing up to a rather giant length of 5.6ft. Fish remains were of medium-sized species that seem to prefer relatively shallow water, to the advantage of the probably visually oriented giant otter. There used to be many more Giant Otters, but pelt-hunting, deforestation, and human disturbance have greatly endangered them. [46], Suriname still has significant forest cover and an extensive system of protected areas, much of which protects the giant otter. 3. [81], Throughout its range, the giant otter interacts with indigenous groups, who often practice traditional hunting and fishing. Giant Otters typically live in … Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. Group members share roles, structured around the dominant breeding pair. So just how big is the Giant Otter. For that reason they are often mistaken for another type of animal. Most have sharp claws on their feet and all except the sea otter have long, muscular tails. 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