Japanese Otter

Japanese Otter
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Suborder: Caniformia
Family: Mustelidae
Subfamily: Lutrinae
Genus: Lutra
Species: L. nippon
Binomial name
Lutra nippon
Imaizumi and Yoshiyuki, 1989[2]

The Japanese Otter, Lutra nippon, is a carnivoran of the family Mustelidae. As the specific name suggests, it was once widespread throughout Japan. Perhaps due to habitat destruction or reduction of its food sources, it is now almost extinct. It is now possibly only present on the island of Shikoku.[2] This otter population is considered by the IUCN to belong to the widespread Eurasian species Lutra lutra.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Ruiz-Olmo, J., Loy, A., Cianfrani, C., Yoxon, P., Yoxon, G., de Silva, P.K., Roos, A., Bisther, M., Hajkova, P. & Zemanova, B. (2008). Lutra lutra. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 02 September 2009.
  2. ^ a b Wilson, Don E.; Reeder, DeeAnn M., eds. (2005), Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press, http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?s=y&id=14001124, retrieved 14 August 2009