One of the 8 otters on WAnimals
Mammals · Carnivora · Mustelidae
Neotropical Otter
Lontra longicaudis
Near Threatened
It could become threatened in the near future if current threats go unchecked.
The neotropical otter is the most widely distributed otter in Latin America, occurring from north-western Mexico to northern Argentina. It is solitary and largely diurnal, and prefers clear, fast rivers with well-vegetated banks and shelter among roots and rocks. It eats fish, crustaceans and molluscs. It was the target of intensive fur hunting until the 1970s and its greatest problem today is the degradation of rivers: mining, dams and pollution.
Weight
5 kg – 15 kg
Size
53 cm – 80 cm
Life expectancy
13 years
