Southern River Otter
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| iSouthern river otter | ||||||||||||||||
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| Lontra provocax |
The Southern river otter (Lontra provocax) is a species of otter that lives in Chile and Argentina. Although called a "river otter", it inhabits both marine and freshwater environments.
This medium-sized otter's body can grow up to 2.5 ft (70 cm) long, with a tail being about 16 in (40 cm). Its skin is dark-brown on the top and has a lighter cinnamon color on its underside. The Southern river otter lives in the central and southern areas of Chile and parts of Argentina and the Southern United States. It lives in rocky coasts and other places with few waves. Instead living in open areas, the otter prefers places with dense vegetation. Although the female and her young will live in family groups, males are usually solitary. Their diet includes fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and birds. The Southern River Otter is listed as endangered, due to illegal hunting, water pollution, and habitat loss.
