River Otter or Lontra Canadensis - Research Paper Example

River Otter" Introduction: River Otter or Lontra candensis is known to be the semi-aquatic mammalian species. The organism is able to protect itselfwith the help of thick protective skin which is furry and fend off water. It belongs to the Weasel family and adaptable in land and in water. Like a beaver they live in a burrow which is near the water source i.e. river, lake or any kind of water reservoir. They make their home brilliantly with various tunnel openings, with an extraordinary entry and exit for water. It is here their young ones are born. At one time a female otter is capable of giving birth to 1-6 small offsprings. The most preferred food for otters is fish, amphibians like salamanders and frogs, turtles, crayfish and numerous other small animals including mammals. Unfortunately this animal is facing the threats and imperils because of its cosy and comfortable fur. Moreover, these mammals are very sensitive towards any kind of pollution in the environment and therefore a remarkable decline is observed in their number. It is essential to overcome this reduction in otter population and for this projects are being instigated to facilitate the amplification of otter populace. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Subfamily: Lutrinae Genus: Lutrinae Species: candensis Binomial Nomenclature: Lontra candensis Subspecies of Otter: 1. L. c. canadensis (Schreber, 1777) – (Eastern Canada, USA, Newfoundland). 2. L. c. enudris – (Northern South America, throughout the Amazon Basin and rivers of eastern Brazil, Argentina, Trinidad). 3. L. c. evexa (Goldman, 1935) – (British Columbia, western slope of Rocky Mountains). 4. L. c. kodiacensis (Goldman, 1935) – (Kodiak Islands, Alaska). 5. L. c. lataxina (Cuvier, 1823) – (USA). 6. L. c. mira (Goldman, 1935) – (Alaska, British Columbia) 7. L. c. pacifica (J. A. Allen, 1898) – (Alaska, Canada, northern USA, south to central California, northern Nevada, and northeastern Utah). 8. L. c. periclyzomae (Elliot, 1905) – (British Columbia). 9. L. c. preblei (Goldman, 1935) – (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). 10. L. c. sonora (Rhoads, 1898) – (USA, Mexico) (Wilson,2005). Physical characteristics: Weight of an adult otter is between 5 and 14 kilograms (Serge, 1998). They have small limbs, a well developed muscular neck and head. They possess extended body with broad lower portion. The total length of the body ranges from 0.66m to 1.07m. It has a long tapering tail with encompasses one-third of its body weight. River Otters posses a broad muzzle, with eyes at the anterior position. It possess a well defined cranium, they close their nostrils inside water. River otters do possess long and substantially thick whiskers that play a role of sensory receptors always inside the water body and also on the ground (Serge, 1998). The body is covered with gleaming and shiny fur. The hair are small but very dense with black to light brown colouration. As of any population albino otters may be seen (Serge, 1998). They do display sexual dimorphism, where males are 5% bigger than females. River Otters may have an average life span of 13 - 25 years (Serge, 1998). Behavioural Characteristics: River otters are generally very active especially at night. They are known to show migration in search of food or due to environmental circumstances. They are capable of swimming with various kinds of paddling movements where tail provides stability as well as direction of propulsion (Serge, 1998). They are capable of walking, running or sliding on the ground. They have tremendous capacity of movement equal to 42kms per day (Serge, 1998). River Otters are very playful (Serge, 1998). They pounce and grab their prey with much faster pace. Chinese are the pioneers in domesticating the Otters. Later Otter-fishing is practiced in other parts of Asian countries like Malaya and India. Various environmental conditions govern the availability of their habitats encompassing the profundity of water body, the heat and temperature of the place, seasonal alterations and also availability of prey. (Grudger, 1927; Erlinge, 1968). Reproduction: The females do not reproduce till the age of two years. Copulation is for 16-73 minutes and can be inside water or on land. Gestation lasts for about 61- 63 days. They display delayed implantation and therefore the duration between copulation and parturition accounts for 10-12 months (Serge, 1998). Threats: River Otters have their enemies in water and on ground. One of the most dangerous enemies is the human race who is constantly killing the animal for its soft and gleaming fur to make coats and to prevent self from the cold weather. To meet the growing demand of such coats, river otters are killed. Humans trap these animals and on top of this they face environmental hazards of oil and spills and industrial pollution. Preservation Eminence: River Otter, Lontra candensis is positioned in the Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) (CITES Appendices). The growing human population has enormously affected the existence of this mammal. The demands is not only for its fur but to meet the industrial challenges, water bodies all over the world are heavily polluted and this environmental sensitive organism along with other endangered species is paying the cost and struggling for its existence. Although measures are been undertaken to clean the water for rearing these mammals but we still have a long way to go for reintroduction of various projects for the conservation and enhancement of Otter population. References: The CITES Appendices. Available on http://www.cites.org/eng/app/index.shtml. [Accessed on 22nd November 2010] Erlinge, S. "Food studies on captive otters Lutra lutra L". Oikos (Blackwell Publishing) 19 (2): 259–270. 1968. Grudger, E.W. "Fishing with the otter". The American Naturalist 61 (674): 193–225. 1927. Serge, L; Walton, L. R. "Lontra canadensis" . Mammalian Species (587): 1–8. 1998. Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D. A. M. . Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). 2005. Read More