Neotropical Otter: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Otters and Weasels · day 7 of 7

Five facts

1. No otter is less fussy about where it lives. Besides rivers, it has settled in rice paddies, sugar cane fields and even wastewater treatment plants.
2. Many otters live in big, close families. This one mostly prefers its own company.
3. It copes with the cold too: in the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia, it can live in icy glacial lakes and streams.
4. Fish make up about 67% of its meals and crabs, shrimp and other crustaceans about 28%. Fruit and large insects are rare extras.
5. Pups are born blind but already covered in fur. Raised by their mother alone, they start swimming at about 74 days old.

The quiz

1. Which unusual place has the Neotropical otter been known to settle in?

• The open ocean far from land
• Hot desert dunes
• Wastewater treatment plants (correct)
• Treetop nests

As the greatest generalist among otters, it even uses wastewater treatment plants.

2. How does the Neotropical otter mostly live?

• Mostly alone (correct)
• In big close-knit families
• In colonies of hundreds
• In groups with giant otters

Unlike many otters, it is a fairly solitary animal.

3. Where can it live in the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia?

• On dry mountain tops
• In hot springs only
• In desert sand
• In icy glacial lakes and streams (correct)

It can live in cold glacial waters high in the Andes.

4. What makes up most of its diet?

• Fruit
• Fish (correct)
• Large insects
• Birds

Fish are about 67% of what it eats.

5. What are newborn Neotropical otter pups like?

• Hairless with open eyes
• Able to swim right away
• Blind but fully furred (correct)
• Cared for by both parents

Pups are born blind yet with a full coat of fur.

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