Marine Otter
Encyclopedia
The marine otter, Lontra felina, is a rare and poorly-known South America
n mammal
of the weasel family (Mustelidae
). The scientific name means "otter cat", and in Spanish
the marine otter is also often referred to as : "marine cat". The marine otter spends much of its time out of the water, unlike the almost fully aquatic
sea otter
(Enhydra lutris) of the North-east Pacific, although unlike most other otter species it rarely ventures into freshwater
or estuarine
habitats.
areas of southwestern South America. They are found close to shore and in the intertidal areas of southern Peru
, along the entire coast of Chile
, and the extreme southern reaches of Argentina
. Occasional vagrant sightings still occur as far afield as the Falkland Islands
.
is smaller. Length ranges from 83 to 113 cm (32.7 to 44.5 in) , not counting the tail of 30 to 36 cm (11.8 to 14.2 in). Weight can range from 3 kilogram. The fur of marine otters is dark brown on the back and light brown on belly. The guard hair
s cover short insulating fur with a grayish colour. The fur is coarser and tougher than in sea otter
s. Many think their fur is tougher than other otters because they live frequently in the surf where they can be pitched against the rocks.
The front and hind paw
s are web
bed, and there are four teat
s.
The marine otter's lower jaws contain eight pairs of teeth, and the upper jaws eight or nine pairs. The teeth are developed for slicing rather than crushing.
There is no obvious sexual dimorphism
in this species.
Little is known about the diet of marine otters, but their primary prey is believed to be crabs, shrimps, mollusks, and fish
.
The otters are diurnal
: they are primarily active in the daytime.
Marine otters may be monogamous or polygamous, and breeding occurs in December or January. Litters of two to five cubs are born in January, February or March after a gestation
period of 60 to 70 days. The pups remain with their mother for about 10 months of parental care, and can sometimes be seen on the mother's belly as she swims on her back, a practice similar to that of the sea otter
. Parents bring food to the cubs and teach them to hunt.
and the Falkland Islands
. Poaching is still a problem, but one of unknown magnitude. It is unknown how many marine otters exist in the wild or what habitats should be preserved to encourage their recovery. Marine otters were listed under CITES Appendix I in 1976, and are listed as endangered by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
of the weasel family (Mustelidae
Mustelidae
Mustelidae , commonly referred to as the weasel family, are a family of carnivorous mammals. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora, at least partly because in the past it has been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated taxa...
). The scientific name means "otter cat", and in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
the marine otter is also often referred to as : "marine cat". The marine otter spends much of its time out of the water, unlike the almost fully aquatic
Aquatic animal
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
sea otter
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
(Enhydra lutris) of the North-east Pacific, although unlike most other otter species it rarely ventures into freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
or estuarine
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
habitats.
Geographic range
Marine otters are found in littoralLittoral
The littoral zone is that part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore. In coastal environments the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes this intertidal zone and is often used to...
areas of southwestern South America. They are found close to shore and in the intertidal areas of southern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, along the entire coast of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and the extreme southern reaches of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Occasional vagrant sightings still occur as far afield as the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
Physical description
Marine otters are relatively small and among otters: only the oriental small-clawed otterOriental Small-clawed Otter
The oriental small-clawed otter , also known as Asian small-clawed otter, is the smallest otter species in the world, weighing less than 5 kg. It lives in mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Burma, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines,...
is smaller. Length ranges from 83 to 113 cm (32.7 to 44.5 in) , not counting the tail of 30 to 36 cm (11.8 to 14.2 in). Weight can range from 3 kilogram. The fur of marine otters is dark brown on the back and light brown on belly. The guard hair
Guard hair
Guard hairs are the longest, coarsest hairs in a mammal's coat, forming the topcoat . They taper to a point and protect the undercoat from the elements. They are often water repellent and stick out above the rest of the coat...
s cover short insulating fur with a grayish colour. The fur is coarser and tougher than in sea otter
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
s. Many think their fur is tougher than other otters because they live frequently in the surf where they can be pitched against the rocks.
The front and hind paw
Paw
A paw is the soft foot of a mammal, generally a quadruped, that has claws or nails. A hard foot is called a hoof. Paws are used to pad feet for walking and increase friction.- Common characteristics :...
s are web
Interdigital webbing
Interdigital webbing is the presence of membranes of skin between the digits. Normally in mammals, webbing is present in the embryo but resorbed later in development, but in various mammal species it occasionally persists in adulthood...
bed, and there are four teat
Nipple
In its most general form, a nipple is a structure from which a fluid emanates. More specifically, it is the projection on the breasts or udder of a mammal by which breast milk is delivered to a mother's young. In this sense, it is often called a teat, especially when referring to non-humans, and...
s.
The marine otter's lower jaws contain eight pairs of teeth, and the upper jaws eight or nine pairs. The teeth are developed for slicing rather than crushing.
There is no obvious sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
in this species.
Habitat and diet
The marine otter mainly inhabits rocky shorelines with abundant seaweed and kelp, and infrequently visits estuaries and freshwater rivers. It appears to select habitats with surprisingly high exposure to strong swells and winds, unlike many other otters, which prefer calmer waters. Caves and crevices in the rocky shorelines may provide them with the cover they need, and often a holt will have no land access at high tide. Marine otters avoid sandy beaches.Little is known about the diet of marine otters, but their primary prey is believed to be crabs, shrimps, mollusks, and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
.
Behavior and reproduction
Marine otters are most often seen individually or in small groups of up to three. They are difficult to spot, swimming low in the water, exposing only their heads and backs. It is not known whether they are territorial, as males are occasionally seen fighting, yet fights have also been observed even between mating pairs. Fighting takes place on prominent rocks above the waterline, which are used for resting, feeding, and grooming. Marine otters have also been observed feeding cooperatively on large fish, but it is not known how common the practice is.The otters are diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
: they are primarily active in the daytime.
Marine otters may be monogamous or polygamous, and breeding occurs in December or January. Litters of two to five cubs are born in January, February or March after a gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
period of 60 to 70 days. The pups remain with their mother for about 10 months of parental care, and can sometimes be seen on the mother's belly as she swims on her back, a practice similar to that of the sea otter
Sea Otter
The sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
. Parents bring food to the cubs and teach them to hunt.
Conservation status
Marine otters are rare and are protected under Peruvian, Chilean, and Argentine law. In the past, marine otters were extensively hunted both for their fur and due to perceived competition with fisheries. Hunting extirpated the marine otter from most of ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. Poaching is still a problem, but one of unknown magnitude. It is unknown how many marine otters exist in the wild or what habitats should be preserved to encourage their recovery. Marine otters were listed under CITES Appendix I in 1976, and are listed as endangered by the U.S. Department of the Interior.