Neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) This species has the widest distribution of all the Lontra … Sometimes otters drown when they become tangled in fishing nets. Breeding occurs mostly during the dry season, though it may take place at any time of the year. They have a head that is larger than the other species of Otters which is a distinguishing characteristic when you see them in photos or books. It is a freshwater and intertidal dweller of Africa. The African clawless otter is Africa’s most widely distributed otter, from Senegal, through most parts of West Africa as far as Ethiopia, and in the south to South Africa. Females have two pairs of teats, and while males have a large scrotum, the penisis hidden beneath the skin, to reduce drag … African clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of … The African Clawless Otter, also known as the Cape Clawless Otter, is one of three in the ‘clawless’ species group. This species is semi-aquatic, meaning it splits its time between water and land. An African clawless otter makes complex vocalizations, including grunts, low and high-pitched whistles, squeals, moans and mews, as well as “hah” sounds that are thought to express anxiety. During the day they sleep in burrows or dens. The African clawless otter is a large freshwater otter found throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa. The African Clawless Otter is the second largest of all freshwater species. African clawless otters dry and groom themselves by rolling in grass and rubbing themselves against rocks and soil and basking in the sun. Gestation lasts for about 63 days. [2] The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater species of otter.African clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of water in savannah and lowland forest areas. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater species of otter. The majority of their time awake is spent swimming, foraging, hunting, playing, and sunbathing. This and the fact that young are raised solely by the females may suggest that African clawless otters exhibit a polygynous mating system. As predators, they may have an influence on the numbers of their prey species: crabs, fish, frogs, and insects. Coupled with poaching, the decline of water bodies through water use, pollution, draining and climate change impacts is piling pressure on these swimmers. Aonyx is the older name, so the Asian small-clawed otter is now Aonyx cinereus. On land, they either trot like a seal or walk slowly, sometimes travelling over 7 km between one body of water and another. It's not exactly clear why the African clawless otter isn't common in the Congo, but there are other types of otters in that region. Groups of 4 to 6, consisting of 2 to 3 adults with 2 to 3 young, are sometimes seen, and larger groups sometimes form to forage. In freshwater habitats, they eat primarily crabs, and they also eat insects, frogs, and various species of fish. The tail is long and muscular, measuring 39 to 44 cm (15 to 17 in) in both sexes. It inhabits everlasting water our bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas via most of sub-Saharan Africa. Image credit: ©.Mathieu Iubrano/CCAttribution-Share Alike 4.0. During the day they sleep in burrows or dens. According to the MPALA LIVE resource, the total number of African clawless otters in South Africa is around 21,500 individuals. The only area where it is not found is in the Congo basin, which is in Central Africa. African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) The African Clawless Otter is similar in appearance to the Congo Clawless otter. They are born altricial (in an undeveloped state and needing parental care) but after 16 to 30 days open their eyes and can leave their den. This species inhabits a wide variety of freshwater habitats, such as streams, rivers, lakes and estuaries, as well as marine habitats, including rocky seashores, as long as freshwater can be accessed, which is essential for washing and drinking. Development, deforestation, overgrazing, wetlands being drained, and water extraction all impact negatively on the quality of the aquatic habitat and surrounding vegetation on which these animals depend. It can be found in the sub-Saharan Africa (except in the Congo). African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) Cladogram, after Koepfli et al. Their dense, short fur insulates their bodies when they are swimming, their webbed back feet provide them with power, and their strong tails act as rudders. They are also slightly larger than its close relative, the Congo clawless Otter. The African clawless otter, scientific name Aonyx capensis, also referred to as the Cape clawless otter or Groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. Like other clawless otters, this carnivorous species relies on nimble, delicate hands to hunt their prey – typically crabs, fish, insects and frogs. Litters can number 1 to 3 pups, but up to 5 per litter have been known for animals in captivity. They range through most of sub-Saharan Africa, except for the Congo River basin and arid areas. Such habits usually attract crocodiles. They have very playful personalities, especially once they have eaten. These otters have a bigger body-to-brain ratio than all other carnivores in southern Africa, which could be the reason for their cleverness and dexterity. The IUCN classifies the species as Near Threatened and Decreasing. Named after their clawless feet, this otter is also known as the Cape Clawless Otter. These animals are acrobatic, curious and clever, and are perfectly adapted to the aquatic environment in which they live. Groups of 4 to 6, consisting of 2 to 3 adults with 2 to 3 young, are sometimes seen, and larger groups sometimes form to forage. The second largest out of all freshwater species, the African clawless otter is well known for its luxurious hair, very silky in appearance and to the touch. Although it is born with tiny claws it loses these on all toes except the middle three on the hind feet. African Clawless Otter Wikipedia article -, 2. They range through most of sub-Saharan Africa, except for the Congo River basin and arid areas. This species is most active at dawn and dusk (known as crepuscular). A local free diver captured a rare incident earlier this month of a Cape clawless otter feeding on a puff adder and dark shysharks. Although usually found in water, these otters can also travel long distances overland. African clawless otter is similar to these species: Spotted-necked otter, Neotropical otter, Southern river otter and more. These otters sport long whiskers on their white-to-cream faces and run on short, clawless feet with no webbing. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater species of otter.African clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of water in savannah and lowland forest areas. African clawless otters are the largest Old World otter species and 3rd largest species of otter overall. This species may also be affected in some areas by loss or degradation of its habitat. They are well known for the luxurious hair that they have. OUR DATA: We use the most recent data from these primary sources: AnAge, UMICH, Max Planck, PanTHERIA, Arkive, UKC, AKC. As you might expect, the African clawless otter lives in Africa. There is no webbing and it can therefore use its "fingers" more freely than other species. It is very silky in appearance as well as to the touch. IUCN Red List IUCN Otter specialist group. An African clawless otter is a solitary animal. In fact, it can be found in nearly every country across the African continent, including Southern, Eastern, and Western countries. They can be found near permanent bodies of water in savannahs and lowland forests. They dive for fish, with dives lasting 6 to 49 seconds, with an average of 18 seconds per dive. Photo: (c) Shamvura Camp, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)) According to the IUCN, the African Clawless Otter’s large distribution will not protect this species from degradation of its freshwater home ecosystems, the chief threat they are facing. Their sensitive whiskers help them to find food in the water by detecting the movement of aquatic animals. Their list of preferred habitats is wide-ranging – from rivers to rocky shores, estuaries or mangroves – but access to permanent freshwater is crucial, with otters only venturing to marine habitats when fresh water is within reach. It occurs in any large area of suitable habitat to the south of the Sahara, except the Congo Basin. The diet in marine habitats is mainly fish, but also crab, abalone and Cape rock lobsters. Currently this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing. They are independent and reproductively mature from the age of 1 year. The absence of claws and the reduced webbing on its paws gives this species incredible dexterity. Discover How Long African clawless otter Lives. @Tekweni In South Africa we have two otter species; the Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis capensis), a subspecies of the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), and the spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis).Both of these species have an IUCN ranking of Least Concern with the latter being much smaller in size than the former and never occurring in the sea. African clawless otter inhabits lakes, streams and rivers in … The young otters love playing and engage in play-fighting, swimming, playing with food and sliding on rocks, even fetching small pebbles tossed into the water as they sink to the bottom. Its feet are webbed to enable the best swimming conditions. An African clawless otter is a solitary animal. The conservation body predicts that degradation of the African Clawless Otter’s habitat – and the ensuing conflict for space with humans – will intensify over the decade. African Clawless Otter on The IUCN Red List site -, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_clawless_otter, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/1793/0. In some areas within its large range, these otters are killed for their sleek fur, or for the use of other body parts in traditional medicines. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is a type of otter. Their lives are solitary for the most part, with males and females frequently going separate ways after mating. Definition of African clawless otter. This has to be one of the cutest, friendliest and playful otter pets ever, the African Clawless otter. Straight after eating, an otter will clean its face with its forefeet. 2008 and Bininda-Emonds et al. African clawless otter is a mammal that belongs to the weasel family. The spotted-necked otter is a relatively small species, with males measuring 71 to 76 cm (28 to 30 in) from nose to rump, and weighing 5.7 to 6.5 kg (13 to 14 lb), while females are 57 to 61 cm (22 to 24 in) and 3.0 to 4.7 kg (6.6 to 10.4 lb). They will use their front feet to extract food hidden under logs or rocks or in the mud. An African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) is also called by the name "Groot otter" and has partly webbed and clawless feet (hence its name), and it is in fact the second biggest freshwater kind of otter. It does spend a lot of time in the water, … Although it is born with tiny claws it loses these on all toes except the middle three on the hind feet. by Ishani Chetty 25-06-2020 11:18 African clawless otters are mainly carnivores. — called also Cape clawless otter. An African clawless otter does most of its hunting in water. : a large African otter (Aonyx capensis) with the claws absent from most toes. This species is most active at dawn and dusk (known as crepuscular). The African Clawless Otter, also known as the Cape Clawless Otter, is one of three in the ‘clawless’ species group. Extant Species. Like many other otters, it is sleek and has webbed paws for swimming. Produced by Tekweni Media. It is also the second-largest type of otter that live in freshwater. Individuals typically weigh 10-21 kilograms, with bodies 1.2 to 1.5 metres long covered in brown … The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is a type of otter.It is also called the Cape clawless otter or groot otter.It is the largest type of otter that live in Africa.It is also the second-largest type of otter that live in freshwater.African clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of water in savannah and lowland forest areas. African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) images and facts - this gallery provides an up-close look through stock photos of this unique and special animal, the African clawless otter. This species is named for its webless front feet. Sometimes they are killed because people believe that they compete with humans for fish, or because they get the blame for a raid on a fish farm or the death of domestic hens or ducks. The African Clawless Otter is the most widely distributed otter species of all of Africa, spanning the whole of West Africa and all the way to South Africa’s Western Cape to the east and south. African Clawless Otter Also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is the second-largest freshwater species of otter. 1999. Aonyx capensis - The African Clawless Otter. The African Clawless Otter is similar in appearance to the Congo Clawless otter. Little is known about the mating system of African clawless otters. 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