Lontra

North American river otters ( Lontra canadensis)

The lontra or American otter ( Lontra ) are a predator species of the subfamily of the Otter ( Lutrinae ) within the marten family ( Mustelidae ). The four species of this genus live in the Americas.

Features

Lontra resemble the Eurasian otter and are similar in size to this. However, they differ in some characteristics, such as the structure of the skull and teeth. Her thick, waterproof coat is colored brown on the top, the bottom is light brown or grayish. The muzzle and throat may be colored white or light gray. Like all otters have an elongated, cylindrical body. The legs are short, the toes are provided with strong claws and webbed. The tail is long and muscular. The head is rounded and provided with a blunt snout, the ears are small and can as well as the nostrils are closed during diving. Lontra reach a body length 46-82 cm and a tail length of 30-57 centimeters. Your weight varies 3-15 kg, with males are significantly heavier than the females.

Distribution and habitat

Lontra are located almost on the whole American continent, their range extends from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. They inhabit a variety of habitats, but are always found near water. They live along both fresh water such as rivers and lakes, in swamps, in the range of estuaries and along the sea coasts. One type, the coast Notter, even exclusively inhabited coastal regions, while the other species are less picky in relation to their habitat.

Way of life

Lontra are mainly crepuscular or nocturnal, but sometimes they go during the day in search of food. When resting places serve them self-dug or taken over by other animals burrows, on the coasts they also use crevices and small caves. They are excellent swimmers and divers who can stay up to 8 minutes under water; but they also move sent ashore and fast forward.

Lontra live mainly solitary, the only lasting relationship is that of the females to their offspring. There are territorial animals, the grounds include about 10 to 80 kilometers along a water section. The boundaries of the territories are marked with urine, feces or secretions of their anal glands. Although areas may overlap over a large area, but the animals go against each other out of the way and respond more aggressively to conspecifics.

Food

Lontra feed primarily on wasserbewohnenden animals such as fish, amphibians, turtles and other reptiles and crustaceans. Sometimes they also eat birds and their eggs, small mammals or insects. They have a high metabolic rate and need to take very much food.

Reproduction

After an approximately 60 - to 63 - day gestation, the female gives birth to an average of two to three pups. But in the north of its range, it will be a delayed implantation, so that may be several months between mating and birth. The newborns are brought up in a building or a natural shelter, which they leave for the first time with two months. After five to six months they are weaned, they leave the mother shortly before they give birth the next time offspring. Sexual maturity occurs at around two years. The life expectancy in the wild up to 14 years in captivity up to 25 years.

Lontra and people

Even the Indians hunted the otters for their fur, but the animals also played in the mythology of many peoples a role, as reflected for example in the Otter covenant. Today, these animals are increasingly threatened by deforestation, river regulation and water pollution in their inventory. Another danger is the fur hunt the otters are hunted still by the thousands for their fur. In some parts of their range they have become rare, two species are IUCN as threatened ( endangered ).

The types

• The North American river otter ( Lontra canadensis) was originally distributed almost throughout Alaska, Canada and the USA; by hunting and habitat destruction they have become, however, disappeared in the eastern, central and southern parts of the U.S. or rare. They live both along the coastline, but also in inland areas, even in waters in the high mountains.
• The South American river otter ( Lontra longicaudis ) is distributed from Mexico to Uruguay and the central Argentina. He lives along rivers and lakes, but also in rice fields and other agricultural areas and has become rare due to habitat destruction and water pollution.
• The Southern river otter ( Lontra provocax ) lives in central and southern Chile and Argentina. By hunting and habitat destruction, the species is largely confined to the southern part around the island of Tierra del Fuego, the IUCN lists it as threatened.
• The coastal viper ( Lontra felina ) were once occupied the entire Pacific coastal regions from southern Peru to Chile, and the extreme south of Argentina to the Atlantic. The largest population is now on the Chilean island of Chiloé. The species was introduced to the Falkland Islands.