Giant River Otter

Giant River Otter Range
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Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Size: Up to 6 ft (1.8 m) Weight: 75 lbs (34 kg) Protection status: Endangered Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: ...

Giant river otter
Giant river otters are endemic to South America and live in the river systems of the Orinoco, Amazon and La Plata. They operate in family groups of up to nine individuals comprised of a breeding pair and their offspring.

Giant river otters are social, typically forming groups of 4-8 individuals (though congregations of upto 20 indiviuals have been observed). These groups generally maintain a home range of 12 km2.

The diverse group of species found there includes the giant river otter that live in slower moving rivers in the Amazon drainage basin.
Due to intense hunting for fur in the 1970s along with pollution and habitat loss, numbers in the wild dwindled.

Other wildlife: Both oxbow lakes are inhabited by families of giant river otters. Giant river otters are the top predators in these ecosystems, feeding on 5-10 kg of fish per day. Other non-fish predators of resident fish are primarily birds.

See also: Otter, River Otter, Weasel, Skunk, Catfish