Spotted-necked otter

Filozoa

Spotted-necked otter[1]
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Hydrictis
Pocock, 1921
Species: H. maculicollis
Binomial name
Hydrictis maculicollis
(Lichtenstein, 1835)
Distribution of spotted-necked otter
Synonyms

Lutra maculicollis

The spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis), or speckle-throated otter, is an otter native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is a smallish otter 95-105 cm (37-42 in) long, including the tail, and weighing 3 to 6.5 kg (6.6-14.3 lbs).[3][4] Like other otters it is sleek and has webbed paws for swimming. Its fur is deep brown and marked with light spots around its throat.

Contents

Distribution

Africa south of 10 degrees N. Spotted-necked otters are found in lakes, larger rivers and common in Lake Victoria and across Zambia, but for some unexplained reason often absent from what appears to be suitable habitat such as the lakes and rivers of East Africa and the Zambezi below Victoria falls.[5] No evidence of Hydrictis maculicollis venturing into salt water.

Ecology

The spotted-necked otter hunts for fish and crustaceans in rivers and lakes. A visual hunter, it stays in clear water with good visibility. It is very vocal, uttering high, thin whistles. The female bears a litter of about three young in an underground burrow, and cares for them for almost a year.

Social organisation

The otters are sometimes found in family groups, but appears to be social only under certain conditions. Males and females are separated for at least part of the year. [6]

Predatory and feeding behavior

Spotted-necked otters appear to hunt entirely by sight, capturing fish, snails and small crustations. Larger prey items are carried ashore while smaller items are eaten while treading water. They are known to use rocks to smash open shells. This rudimentary use of tools speaks volumes about the intelligence of the otter.

Vulnerability

The spotted-necked otter is in decline, mostly due to habitat destruction and pollution of its clear-water habitats. It is hunted as bushmeat.

References

  1. ^ Wozencraft, W. Christopher (16 November 2005). "Order Carnivora (pp. 532-628)". In Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
  2. ^ Hoffmann M (2008). Lutra maculicollis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 2008-10-13.
  3. ^ [1] (2011).
  4. ^ [2] (2011).
  5. ^ Richard Despard Estes (Ed.) (1992). The behavior guide to african mammals : Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. University of California Press. pp. 437. ISBN 0-520-08085-8. 
  6. ^ Richard Despard Estes (Ed.) (1992). The behavior guide to african mammals : Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. University of California Press. pp. 437. ISBN 0-520-08085-8. 

External links