Congo Clawless Otter

Aonyx congica

Note: Very little is known about the Congo Clawless Otter, and what information is available is highly varied. I have done my best to sort through the different sources for the most accurate information possible, but please bear with any inconsistencies between this and other sites. I am attempting to contact researchers who have actually worked with these animals for more detailed information.

 

Identification

Size: The Congo Clawless Otter is 120 to 150 cm long. The head and body is 60 to 100 cm long, and the tail is 40 to 65 cm long. It weighs from 13 to 25 kg.

Color: Dark brown back, lighter cheeks, ears, and throat, with a lighter belly. The fur on the back of the neck and head has silver tips, and there is a dark spot on either side of the face between the eye and nose.

Nose: No information at this time.

Feet: The back feet have webbing only to the second joint and small claws on the three middle toes. The front feet have only very small claws and no webbing. The front paws are very sensitive, likely to increase success in finding food under rocks and in the mud.

Fur:

Track/Sign: No info at this time.

 

Ecology

Habitat: The Congo Clawless Otter lives in wetlands, streams, rivers, and shallow lake margins or ponds in the rainforest. Its short fur (providing less insulation) and the abbreviated webbing of its feet make the Congo Clawless Otter the least adapted otter for life in the water.

Range/Distribution: Rainforests of the lower Congo River Basin- southern Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Zaire, northeastern Angola, southwestern Uganda, Central African Republic, Burundi, and Rwanda.

Threats: Threats to Congo clawless otters include habitat destruction (clearing of bush and draining of wetlands), hunting for fur trade, meat, and to cut down competition for fish. Predators other than humans include birds of prey, leopards, pythons, crocodiles.

Conservation Status: Endangered

 

 

Food: Congo Clawless Otters eat fish, amphibians, crustaceans, octopus if available, and giant earthworms. Their teeth are smaller than average otter teeth, so it is assumed that they tend to eat softer foods. They capture prey by hunting and digging in the mud or under rocks

 

 

 

Behavior

Life Cycle: Very little is known about the Congo Clawless Otter's life cycle. What is known is that they are monogamous during mating periods, but are otherwise solitary. They have a 60 to 64 day gestation period, and the average litter is 2 to 3 pups. The pups open their eyes at 40 days, start swimming at about 65 days, and start eating solid food at about 80 days. They reach sexual maturity at one year of age, and have a life span of 10 to 15 years.

Social: Congo Clawless Otters are mostly solitary, coming together only to mate. Again, little is known about their social habits.

Individual: These otters are largely nocturnal. Also, they are believed to spend much more time on land than most other otter species.

 

 

About: The Congo Clawless Otter is closely related to the Cape Clawless Otter. Major differences include the dark spots on the face, the silver-tipped fur, a more slender head and neck, and more deeply cusped molars.

Names:

French: Loutre a joues blanches du Congo
German: Kongo-Keinkrallenotter and Kongo Weisswangenotter
Italian:
Fang: Aban

Adonna: Libingui

Bakota: Ibangou

Baka: Londo

Bangando: Fima
Scientific names: Aonyx Capensis

Subspecies:

Aonyx congica congica-

Aonyx congica microdon- Nigeria and Cameroon

Aonyx congica phillippsi-

Research: DNA testing is currently underway to determine whether the Congo Clawless Otter is really its own species, or actually a subspecies of the Cape Clawless Otter. The leading researchers on the Congo Clawless Otter are David Rowe-Rowe, Jan Nels, Michael Somers, and Helene Jacques.

Links: seaworld , lioncrusher , otterspecialistgroup