Spotted Necked Otter

Lutra maculicollis

 

Identification

Size: From nose to tail the Spotted Necked Otter is 95 to 117 cm long. The head and body is 62 to 72 cm long, and the tail is 33 to 46 cm long. It weighs from 10 to 20 lbs, and males are generally much larger than females.

Color: Ranges from a dark chocolate color to rusty brown. The throat and belly are a light tan color, mottled with brown spots. These spot patterns are also on the upper lip, chin, and groin. These spots are individual to each animal, and some have none.

Nose: The nose is a wide diamond shape, with the nostrils in the lower half and outer quarter of the nose.

Feet: Webbed almost to the ends of the toes. There are fine hairs under the webbing. These otters have very short, strong claws.

Fur: The fur is very thick and sleek. The guardhairs are 1.3 to 1.6 cm, underhairs about 7 mm. Their whiskers are less dense than most otter species.

Track/Sign: No info at this time.

 

Ecology

Habitat: Streams, lakes, and marshes. They avoid turbulent waters, and prefer deep, calm water.

Range/Distribution: The spotted necked Otter lives in sub- Saharan Africa in most of the river systems. They are particularly abundant in Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika

Threats: Human-caused threats include habitat destruction, pollution, over fishing, and hunting. Deforestation in the region is causing soil run-off which reduces visibility in the water. As these otters hunt by sight, this makes it very difficult for them. The wetlands are also being drained due to an increase of population and industries, decreasing the otter's habitat and that of its prey species. Sewage drainage and run-off of mining silt are poisoning both the otters and their prey. The otters are also hunted for their pelts and meat, and because they are seen as competitors for food. They are protected by the African government, but little is done to actually protect these animals.Natural predators include crocodiles, eagles, and pythons.

Conservation Status: Least concern

 

Food: Fish, amphibians, crustaceans, water bird chicks, insects, and sometimes mollusks. Spotted necked otters hunt by sight, catch food in their mouths, and eat in the water. They make short hunting trips throughout the day, catching food as they are hungry. Their diet varies throughout the year as availability of food items changes. They eat more crabs in the summer, and more frogs and fish in the autumn and winter. In the autumn and winter, drying of marshes and ponds makes frogs more vulnerable. In the winter, crabs become inaccessible and fish are slower in the cold water, making them easier to catch. These otters only take crabs less than 5cm in width to avoid injury from the claws of larger crabs, and only eat fish that are less than 20 cm long. This includes eels, yellowfish, potted bass, bluegill, largemouth bass and trout. They eat about 500 g of fish a day, sometimes raiding fishing nets or waiting for fishermen to throw out unwanted fish.

 

Behavior

Life Cycle: The spotted necked otter lives in a holt in the river bank, the entrance to which is generally underwater. They breed seasonally between September and December. They have a 60 to 65 day gestation period, and usually have one to three pups. The males do not stay to help raise the pups, but it has been reported that in some instances the male returns when the cubs are five months old to help feed the pups. The pups are born grey with cream colored spots. They are swimming at about eight weeks old, and weaned between twelve and sixteen weeks. The pups stay with their mother for about a year.

Social: Spotted necked otters are usually diurnal, but are sometimes nocturnal. Their territories encompass up to two miles of shoreline, smaller than those of most otters. The males overlap their territories with one or more females. They are not very protective of their territories, often forming social and hunting groups of anywhere from five to twenty members, but live alone or in small family groups. Their social habits seem to vary between regions.Vocalizations: Females make bird-like metallic chirps to communicate with their young. They make similar chirping sounds to communicate with each other, and a sharp "F" sound as an alarm call when there is danger.

Individual: These otters spend more time in the water than other freshwater species, almost never leaving the water's edge. Resting sites, holts, latrines, and breeding areas are all right next to the water, and they are not very agile on land. Spotted necked otters do not venture into estuaries or the ocean. Like other otters, the spotted necked otter is very playful throughout its life.

 

About: Spotted necked otters are especially strong swimmers, and like other otters, they can close their ears and nostrils underwater.

Names:

speckle-throated otter

spot-necked otter

Spanish: Nutria de cuello manchado
French: Loutre a cou tachete
German: FleckenhalsOtter
Italian:Lontra dal collo macchiato

Other scientific name: Hydricits Malculiollis

Subspecies:

No known subspecies. At one time there were up to six, but these were all based in variations of tooth size and deemed not enough of a difference to warrant subspecies status..

 

Links: phoenixzoo FACT_SHEET , itech Spotted-necked_Otter ,

africanfauna spottedneckedotter page , lioncrusher's spottednecked otter page