Pen pictures. Thirteen otters of the world: some natural history

Abstract

This chapter describes each of the 13 otter species, with photographs and geographical distribution, an outline of their natural history, a summary of known diet and feeding habits, main habitats, and notes on breeding, social behaviour, conservation status, and threats to survival. The chapter is divided into geographical sections: Europe with common or Eurasian otter Lutra lutra; North America with two, river otter Lontra canadensis and sea otter Enhydra lutra; Latin America with four, giant otter Petronura brasiliensis, neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis, southern river otter Lontra provocax, and marine otter Lontra felina. Asia has four species, the Eurasian one, hairy-nosed otter Lutra sumatrana, smooth otter Lutrogale perspicillata, and small-clawed otter Aonyx cinereus. Africa also has four, including the Eurasian one, Cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis, Congo clawless otter Aonyx congicus, and spotted-necked otter Lutra maculicollis.