Giant otters can consume up to 10 lb of food a day. The giant otter is the longest of the otter species but shares a similar weight with the sea otter.Male giant otters can attain a length of 1.5-1.7m (4.9-5.6ft). Description. Following the banning of fur trade, giant otter populations have recovered across South America. SAVING THE SEA OTTER. Endangered Species Spotlight: Hairy Nosed Otter SPECIES: Hairy Nosed Otter (Lutra sumatrana) CURRENT RANGE: Small isolated populations in southeast Asia. The two males and one female join their juvenile siblings born in September 2014. November 27, 2017 admintag People chased sea otters because of fur and skin. A giant otter eats two to four kilograms of food per day. Fish makes up the majority of their diet. With resplendent, thick fur, otters were voraciously hunted until not a single one could be seen along the California coast. As its name suggests the giant otter is the largest of the otter species and can be found in … An average giant otter will weigh between 22 and 32kg (49-71lbs). The Giant Otter lives in South America as well. Giant Otter (Has lost as much as 80% of its range. According to the U.S. It has the greatest body length of any species in the mustelid family, although the sea otter may be heavier. Why are sea otters endangered ? Giant otters are often hunted for their fur, which is valuable in places such as Russia because it is very warm, even when wet. They are at great risk of extinction due to many reasons such as fur trade, shark attacks, habitat degradation, oil spills ,fishing nets, disease and being viewed as competition. Fish are supplemented by crustaceans, snakes, and other river creatures. RE: Why are River Otters endangered? Unfortunately it is already extinct in Uruguay and Argentina. Giant river otters are listed as endangered under the red list of threatened species, published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 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. To prevent the fish bones from irritating their mouth and digestive tract, they have a very thick saliva to … They hunt either alone or in groups. CURRENT THREATS: Habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade (both for skins and for pets). In addition, otters were caught, because they considered them competitors in fishing and shellfish production. To make matters worse, it has gone extinct in some areas, so populations are no longer connected.) Each individual in the groups has a role, and there is one main breeding pair. Sea otters had have been listed as endangered for a long time. Diet consists mainly of fish, crabs and even caimans and snakes. On March 28, 2015, our giant river otter family welcomed three new pups. Ka’apor Capuchin Monkey (Critically endangered Conservation Status: IUCN Red List - Endangered Threats to Survival: Contamination; overfishing and conflict with fishermen; infrastructure such as roads and hydroelectric dams. Diet consists mainly of fish, crabs and even caimans and snakes. Sea otters are listed as an endangered species because they are vulnerable to oil spills from ships and coastal tanker traffic. Giant otters are very social animals and groups of up to 20 individuals have been found in forms of "family groups." There are multiple factors, including habitat degradation.) The southern sea otter was believed to be extinct, and otters in Alaskan waters were similarly imperiled. Hello all; this is my first question, so be nice! CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: There is just one Hairy Nosed Otter in captivity– a rescued male at the Wildlife … Why are sea otters endangered The sea otter is a marine mammal which lives on the coasts of the northern Pacific Ocean. Being diurnal and living in social groups Giant Otters are vulnerable to man's destruction. If the otter is caught at a young age, it is easy to tame and teach to fish and bring it to the owner. Preferring slow-moving tropical rivers, the giant river otter is affected by habitat loss, illegal hunting and gold mining that has caused mercury poisoning. I'm meant to be doing a piece of Coursework on any Biological Issue (a problem) so i decided to do Conservation. Giant Otters' primary diet is fish. Fish and Wildlife Service, sea otters have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1977. They also have a reduced population size, which puts them in danger of becoming extinct. Giant otters are large aquatic carnivores that inhabit rivers and seasonal lakes in South America. Native to South America, giant river otters are mostly found in the Amazon basin. Their long tail may add as much as 70cm (28in) to this body length. The Giant River Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), often referred to as the river wolf, is a species in the Mustelid (weasel) family that is endemic to South America.It is both the world’s largest otter and largest member of the mustelid family, reaching up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length. Current estimates place the population between 1,000 and 5,000, placing it among the endangered otter species. Largely as a result of hunting the Giant Otter is now classed as seriously endangered in Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela. Giant Anteater (Vulnerable. Giant Otter Project. Decreased by at least 30% in the last 10 years. Appearance. I wrote about the long tailed otter a few weeks ago but that is not the only endangered otter living in South America! The giant otter, an endangered apex predator in Amazon river ecosystems, was nearly driven to extinction because of demand for its fur. Each individual in the groups has a role, and there is one main breeding pair. Females are smaller at 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft). However, there are several emerging threats to this sensitive species. This Site Might Help You. They have sharp teeth and strong jaws to help them catch fast moving fish and eat them whole, chewing up bones, scales, spines and all. 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). Sea otters have low genetic diversity, which could endanger their health as a species, a UCLA-led team of life scientists has discovered. Studying Giant Otter Demography. 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