Species: Congo Clawless and Spotted-necked Otter. Its diet consists of crabs, lobsters, insects, frogs, and a wide array of fish species. The are considered to be full grown at about one year of age. At SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, we extend our commitment to the environment beyond our company by supporting a variety of conservation groups and programs. ツメナシカワウソを飼育展示している動物園・水族館は全国で3施設あります。ツメナシカワウソのいる動物園は、のいち動物公園の1施設だけ。ツメナシカワウソのいる水族館は、仙台うみの杜水族館と伊勢シーパラダイスの2施設です。 In South Africa there are two species of otter, the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the Spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicolll). African clawless otter inhabits lakes, streams and rivers in savannas and lowland forests. Find a variety of free classroom activities that will keep your students engaged and excited to learn about animals. An individual otter maintains a territory. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1990. Due to commercial hunting for meat and fur, Congo clawless otter population numbers have undergone severe declines especially in Nigeria and Cameroon. Find quick information and fun facts with these 1-page easy resources about animals from A to Z. The African Clawless Otter is the second largest of all freshwater species. The African clawless otter lives throughout the tropical and sub-tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa except the Congo Basin, which is dominated by the Congo clawless otter. The Spotted Necked Otter is smaller and darker than the African Clawless Otter and has a pale neck with spots. While it can get around on land, it is slow and often clumsy in the process. Then there’s the Sea Otters and a few other species, which are typically polygamous and do not mate for life. Crazy about roller coasters? All otters have been exploited for their thick, velvety fur. The African Clawless Otter is slow and awkward when it tries to move around on land. Vol. Nowak, Ronald M. They are characterized by partly webbed and clawless feet, from which their name is derived… These tracks usually belong to mongooses, dogs, small wild cats, numerous bird species and the ever elusive otters. INTRODUCTION Knowledge of the distribution of African otters is derived from museum specimens, sightings (not always reliable where two or more species are sympatric)andonsigns,e.g.distinctivetracksand spraints (faeces), or from diaries and expedition Johannesburg, South Africa – Yesterday was World Otter Day and to celebrate it, the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital shared the happy news of their latest release. Adults range in size from 1.15-1.5m (3.8-5ft), and weigh from 16-20kg (35.3-44.1lbs) (Foster-Turley et al. They are only nursed by their mother for about 60 days. The otters are generally within 50 meters away from a source of water and their diet consists mainly of marine species such as fish, crabs, lobsters, and octopus. The African Clawless Otter spends a great deal of time in the water. They spend a great deal of their time laying around in the sun or even in t… The Virunga volcanoes are a chain of 8 volcanoes along the northern part of the African rift valley and the Virunga heartland is one of the world's most important biodiversity sites in which the Congo Clawless Otter and mountain gorillas live. The Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) is a type of otter. Walker's Mammals of the World. These Otters are mature enough for mating around one year of age. On January 17th 2002 Mount Nyiragongo, ju… genetic diversity of the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) in Gauteng (South Africa) was assessed using non-invasive sampling techniques. This otter is also known as the Capeclawless otter or groot otter. It is a diurnal otter and likes deep water habitats like lakes, where they dive for fish and amphibians. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is a type of otter. Although African clawless otters will occupy habitat near saltwater, they need access to freshwater and live primarily along tributaries of major rivers or in seasonal rivers in arid and semiarid areas. The extremely reduced claws and webbing on its paws gives this species incredible dexterity. These whiskers are highly sensitive to vibrations all around them. Other members of this family include weasels, skunks, and ferrets. At that time the males will leave their mother to join the male raft in the area. Otters mark their territories with scent, and fervently patrol and defend their territories. This article is protected by copyright. c. Clawless otter (genus Aonyx) habitats vary greatly among the species and between individuals. They are very fast when it comes to catching these items and then consuming them. Common menu items include crabs, fish, … Very little is known about this species. Due to the shy nature of Cape clawless otters, they often avoid heavily disturbed urban areas, and when they do occur in urban areas, they are often more nocturnal in order to avoid disturbance from people and dogs. The African clawless otter has large molars adapted to crushing crabs and lobsters, but will also prey on frogs, fish and insects. c. Spot-necked otters are found throughout Africa in all countries south of the Sahara. Its distribution range covers most of sub-Saharan Africa, only being absent in the Congo basin where it is replaced by the Congo clawless otter ( A. congicus ) ( Rowe-Rowe & Somers, 1998 ; Nel & Somers, 2007 ). Produced by Tekweni Media. An individual otter maintains a territory. It is the third largest species of otter. African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis)The African Clawless Otter is similar in appearance to the Congo Clawless otter. African Clawless Otters exist in most fresh water systems or near the coast. However, proportions of trout in some of the African clawless otter isotopic niches (OT10 and OT12) are much higher than what has been previously determined in trout waters (Rowe-Rowe, 1977b; Butler and Du Toit, 1994). The African Clawless Otter hunts day and night and, while it does favour an aquatic environment, it eats prey from both the land and water. Only the giant otter and sea otter are larger. Otters mark their territories with IV. In the case of two cryptic, co-occurring South African otter species, namely the Cape Clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the spotted necked otter (Lutra maculicollis), faeces (spraint) is used as a means of determining, , , It can be found in the sub-Saharan Africa (except in the Congo). Otter information, Habitat, Feeding, Anatomy, Reproduction, PredatorsFacts about Sea Otter, Giant Otter, European Otter, African Otter and River Otter For small creatures though they do eat quite a bit. Cape clawless otters, Aonyx capensis, are widely distributed in South Africa, as elsewhere on the continent. Eurasia. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater species of otter. Our overarching zoological mission is to foster conservation awareness and to impart action on our park guests to preserve wild animals and wild places. Common menu items include crabs, fish, … Although it is born with tiny claws it loses these on all toes except the middle three on the hind feet. It is very silky in appearance as well as to the touch. It is believed to spend much more time on land than other otters. Due to the shy nature of Cape clawless otters, they often avoid heavily disturbed urban areas, and when they do occur in urban areas, they are often more nocturnal in order to avoid disturbance from people and dogs. Other members of this family include weasels, skunks, and ferrets. Taken with tigers? Many still hunt them in Africa for their pelts as well. African clawless otter is a mammal that belongs to the weasel family. a. They tend to like water that is surrounding by areas of foliage. This species of Otter is Least Concern in Conservation status, but they are hunted by humans and their habitat is destroyed. © 2021 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Come with us on an unforgettable journey behind the scenes during a SeaWorld or Busch Gardens Camp. They have a head that is larger than the other species of Otters which is a distinguishing characteristic when you see them in photos or books. They spend a great deal of their time laying around in the sun or even in the shade. The African Clawless Otter spends a great deal of time in the water. Take a closer look at these encyclopedia books including information about animal habitats, behavior, and scientific classification. The "African clawless otter" , also known as the "Cape clawless otter" or "groot otter", is the second-largest freshwater species of otter. The Cape clawless otter. Often found in freshwater bodies along the coastline, a Cape clawless otter is also known as an African clawless otter or groot otter. Interestingly, Congo Clawless Otters are monogamous but they do not mate for life. Using random encounter models, we estimated that the transformed area had the highest density of African clawless otters (8.2 ± 2.3 km −2), compared to otter densities at Verloren Vallei and Cobham Nature Reserve, South −2 Their raft has a given territory and then they each have their own space within it. Congo clawless otters are one of 13 species of otters in the carnivore family Mustelidae. Since they have predators on land including Nile crocodiles and eagles they tend to find it safer to be in the water. This clawless otter, named Moses, was just a few weeks old when he was found abandoned at the side of a South African river. The African clawless otter has been reported as living in family groups including the male, female, and pups (Rowe-Rowe 1978), family groups consisting of the female and pups, or … Genetic diversity of African clawless otters (Aonyx capensis) occurring in urbanised areas of Gauteng, South Africa AUTHORS: Damian W. Ponsonby1 M. Thabang Madisha2 Ute Schwaibold1 Desiré L. Dalton2,3 AFFILIATIONS: 1School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa African clawless otters (Aonyx capensis) occur in a wide variety of habitats, and thus are good model species to investigate animal adaptation to anthropogenic environments. They love to play too so you can find them using logs and other items in their environment to have fun with. Cape clawless otters occupy home ranges that can vary in size from 4.9 km to 54.1 km and they are generally found at densities of one otter for every 2 km of coast. Parker, S. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Biological Sciences, 2017 [cited yyyy month dd]. These preliminary results suggest that African clawless otters may have increased adrenocortical activity that could be due to conditions linked to living in a transformed environment. Browse our extensive collection of zoological career infobooks including animal training, animal rescue and rehabilitation and zoo careers. They tend to either live alone or in small groups of about 6. The researchers propose that the otter's role in this ancient ecosystem - to which it was unique -was like that of the living African clawless otter and the Asian small-clawed otter today. Their tail measures 465 mm to 515 mm long and is typically stout The Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is the most widely distributed of the three endemic otter species in Africa (Nel & Somers, 2007). These otters have partly webbed and clawless feet, from which they get their name. Adults range in size from 1.15-1.5m (3.8-5ft), and weigh from 16 … The creatures live in dense vegetation beyond the high-water mark of rivers and sometimes scavenge along the beaches and hunt in shallow surf. African (Cape) clawless otter (Aonyx capensis): The African clawless otter is one of four species of otters found in Africa. It is Go behind-the-scenes to see how our trainers care for and interact with these amazing animals, and get up close with some finned, flippered, or feathered friends. During this period of time they will be taught to swim and to fish. It is widely-distributed across South Africa and the second largest freshwater otter species in the world, reaching between 113 and 163 cm in length and weighing between 12 and 21 kg. Are you wild about whales? So are we! (1) Asian small-clawed otters occur in fresh and brackish water habitats including rivers, creeks, estuaries, and coastal waters. They thrive both in the warm water areas and where the temperatures are very low. They also spend a great deal of time in the water in order to stay cool. 4. The African clawless otter is carnivorous. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. b. Congo clawless otters inhabit equatorial Africa, from southeastern Nigeria to Gabon, down to Uganda and Burundi. It is a small otter and found only in the mid-part of Africa, in the tropical belt. African clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of water in savannah and lowland forest areas. Key words: African clawless otter, Aonyx capensis,habitat selection, river conservation. Only the giant otter and sea otter are larger. The diet composition of the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) was studied by analyzing of 440 spraint samples collected during January, 2014 and December, 2015 in both dry and wet seasons from eight sites in and around Lake Tana, North West Ethiopia. In some parts of Africa they are protected but it isn’t a widespread effort like it needs to be. African (Cape) clawless otter (Aonyx capensis): The African clawless otter is one of four species of otters found in Africa. The extremely reduced claws and webbing on its paws gives this species incredible dexterity. I. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. Grizmek's Encyclopedia of Mammals. Nearly as large as the African clawless otter but definitely lighter and more slender, the Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) was thought to be a subspecies of the former African clawless otter until recently.Little is known about this otter, which is the least studied of the African species. It is the third largest species of otter. It is believed to spend much more time on land than other otters. Humans that are trying to capture fish in nets tend to be a huge threat to the African Clawless Otter. Conservation ecology of the Cape clawless otter, Aonyx capensis, in an urban environment. DNA was extracted from spraint (faecal) samples collected along nine rivers and In 2014 the otters have been listed as nearly threatened. From fun and affordable field trips for students to amazing summer adventures, our camps combine education and entertainment in a way that connects people to the sea and sea life like nowhere else. 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