The Big Otter

Two Giant Otters rest on a log along the Tambopata. Photo by Jeff Cremer. How to plan your Amazon travel to see Giant Otters and other rainforest wildlife Take a tour to a remote, protected area: They mostly occur in wild, heavily forested, and protected areas such as the Tambopata region.

Giant otter

Visit an oxbow lake in Tambopata: To boat in the oxbow lakes that Giant Otters call home, visit our stunning Rainforest Expedition lodges in the Peruvian Amazon. One of our experienced guides will help you spot them! Sign up for a Free Trial of the AmazonCam: Even if Amazon travel is not in your short-term plans, you can connect with Amazon wildlife! Sign up here for your free trial of the Wired Amazon. You can help us identify the Amazon wildlife on photos taken by our 20 square kilometer grid of cameras in the middle of the jungle!

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In the 'Great Nor'-west' of Canada, a thousand miles away from civilization, a group of hardy British hunters and trappers brave the ice, snow, storms, rapids and bears in an unforgiving region with eight months of Winter. With a colorful group of French-Canadians, Scottish Highlanders and a mischievous mixed-race scout called Salamander, they establish their camp, befriend and trade with the local tribes and have some adventures.

Then Maxby falls for Waboose meaning 'rabbit' , the daughter of a native mother and an American father, now dead. Maxby's affections and a secret left to Waboose by his father change the young outdoorsman's priorities. Ballantyne's descriptions of the awesome acts of Nature are superbly drawn and highly stirring, such as when the ice first breaks up over the water with the coming of spring, though he goes a little overboard with the exclamation points this time around. Despite the use of period terms such as 'redskins' and 'savages', the treatment of the Native Americans is about as respectful as you will find in a 19th century novel; more than once the narrator, a religious, asserts that all men are created equal.

There are bad native characters, but there are bad fur-trappers too. And of course Big Otter is the real hero of the book, though he is offstage often and is entirely stoic when present, a man of action and few words - frequently just one in fact. Rich rated it liked it Jun 13, Brendon rated it it was ok Nov 18, Kelsey added it Jul 25, Camp marked it as to-read May 07, Kenji marked it as to-read Sep 05, All group members may aggressively charge intruders, including boats with humans in them.

The longest documented giant otter lifespan in the wild is eight years. In captivity, this may increase to 17, with an unconfirmed record of The animal is susceptible to a variety of diseases, including canine parvovirus.

Giant Otter

Parasites, such as the larvae of flies and a variety of intestinal worms, also afflict the giant otter. The giant otter is an apex predator , and its population status reflects the overall health of riverine ecosystems. One full-year study of giant otter scats in Amazonian Brazil found fish present in all fecal samples. Fish remains were of medium-sized species that seem to prefer relatively shallow water, to the advantage of the probably visually oriented giant otter. Prey species found were also sedentary, generally swimming only short distances, which may aid the giant otter in predation.

Hunting in shallow water has also been found to be more rewarding, with water depth less than 0. The species can hunt singly, in pairs, and in groups, relying on sharp eyesight to locate prey. Prey chase is rapid and tumultuous, with lunges and twists through the shallows and few missed targets. The otter can attack from both above and below, swiveling at the last instant to clamp the prey in its jaws.

Giant otters catch their own food and consume it immediately; they grasp the fish firmly between the forepaws and begin eating noisily at the head. The species is amphibious, although primarily terrestrial. Other water habitats include freshwater springs and permanent freshwater lakes. The giant otter seems to choose clear, black waters with rocky or sandy bottoms over silty, saline, and white waters.

Giant otters use areas beside rivers for building dens, campsites, and latrines. Giant otters adopt communal latrines beside campsites, and dig dens with a handful of entrances, typically under root systems or fallen trees. One report found between three and eight campsites, clustered around feeding areas.

In seasonally flooded areas, the giant otter may abandon campsites during the wet season, dispersing to flooded forests in search of prey. These can become quite extensive, including "backdoor" exits into forests and swamps, away from the water. Research generally takes place in the dry season and an understanding of the species' overall habitat use remains partial.

An analysis of dry season range size for three otter groups in Ecuador found areas between 0. Utreras [60] presumed habitat requirements and availability would differ dramatically in the rainy season: Other researchers suggest approximately 7 square kilometres 2. Adult giant otters living in family groups have no known serious natural predators , however there are some accounts of black caimans in Peru and yacare caimans in the Pantanal preying on giant otters.

When in the water, the giant otter faces danger from animals not strictly preying upon it: Even if without direct predation, the giant otter must still compete with other predators for food resources. Duplaix documented interaction with the neotropical otter. The smaller neotropical otter is far more shy, less noisy, and less social; at about a third the weight of the giant otter, it is more vulnerable to predation, hence, a lack of conspicuousness is to its advantage.

The neotropical otter is active during twilight and darkness, reducing the likelihood of conflict with the diurnal giant otter. Other species that prey upon similar food resources include the caimans and large fish that are themselves piscivores. Gymnotids , such as the electric eel, and the large silurid catfish are among aquatic competitors. Two river dolphins, the tucuxi and boto , might potentially compete with the giant otter, but different spatial use and dietary preferences suggest minimal overlap.

The IUCN listed the giant otter as "endangered" in ; it had been considered " vulnerable " under all previous listings from when sufficient data had first become available.

The animal faces a variety of critical threats. Poaching has long been a problem. Statistics show between and Amazonian Brazil alone accounted for 1, to 3, pelts annually. The species was so thoroughly decimated, the number dropped to just 12 in The implementation of CITES in finally brought about significant hunting reductions, [13] although demand did not disappear entirely: The threat has been exacerbated by the otters' relative fearlessness and tendency to approach human beings.

They are extremely easy to hunt, being active through the day and highly inquisitive. Farmers follow, creating depleted soil and disrupted habitats. As human activity expands, giant otter home ranges become increasingly isolated. Subadults leaving in search of new territory find it impossible to set up family groups. Other threats to the giant otter include conflict with fishermen, who often view the species as a nuisance see below. Ecotourism also presents challenges: An IUCN study in suggested 1, to 5, otters remain.

Description

In , most of this species lived in the Brazilian Amazon and its bordering areas. Suriname still has significant forest cover and an extensive system of protected areas, much of which protects the giant otter. Other countries have taken a lead in designating protected areas in South America.

The park harbors many endangered plants and animals, including the giant otter, and holds the world record for mammal diversity. Throughout its range, the giant otter interacts with indigenous groups , who often practice traditional hunting and fishing. A study of five indigenous communities in Colombia suggests native attitudes toward the animal are a threat: Even when told of the importance of the species to ecosystems and the danger of extinction, interviewees showed little interest in continuing to coexist with the species.

Schoolchildren, however, had a more positive impression of the animal. In Suriname, the giant otter is not a traditional prey species for human hunters, which affords some protection. Logging, hunting, and pup seizure may have led groups to be far more wary of human activity.

Local people sometimes take pups for the exotic pet trade or as pets for themselves, but the animal rapidly grows to become unmanageable. While revealing of the affection held for the animals, the seizure was a profound blow to the breeding pair, which went on to lose their territory to competitors. The species has also appeared in the folklore of the region. It plays an important role in the mythology of the Achuar people , where giant otters are seen as a form of the tsunki , or water spirits: They appear in a fish poisoning legend where they assist a man who has wasted his sexual energy, creating the anacondas of the world from his distressed and extended genitals.

Giant otters served as Yaku runa's canoes. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Giant otter [1] Giant otter Conservation status. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press. International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Retrieved 6 March Retrieved 6 August In the Society of Nature: A Native Ecology in Amazonia. Yanomami Ethnography in Times of Crisis. University of Wisconsin Press.

Rainforest Expeditions - Wildlife Guide to the Giant Otter

Mustelidae based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences". Food and agricultural organization of the United Nations. Archived from the original on 27 November