In the wild the lifespan of a giant otter is approximately 9 years; in captivity ages of up to 22 years have been recorded but this is exceptional. Giant River Otter At more than twice the length of the North American river otter, the giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is quite a sight.A skilled hunter and apex predator, the giant river otter is also very much a family-oriented creature, living in large and often noisy groups along the river banks of the Amazon and its tributaries. Distribution. Each otter has a unique speckled brown and cream throat patch which renders easy visual identification of individuals. The babies are born blind and don’t start swimming until they are about 12 weeks old. The Giant Otter features a very long body, similar to that of a weasel. They dwell in flooded forests, slow moving rivers, streams, lakes and swamps. Between 1950 – 1970, 20,000 otter pelts were exported from Peru alone. The dry season range size analysis for the three Giant Otter groups in Ecuador found areas between 0.45 and 2.79 square kilometers. They do everything together and help each other to hunt food. monspesulanus was a leopard-size (about 65 kg) relative of … Otters range in size from 3 kg (6.6 pounds) in the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus, formerly Amblonyx cinereus) to 26 kg (57 pounds) in the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) and 45 kg (99 pounds) in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris). Giant Otter research is usually done in the dry season and the overall understanding of Giant Otter's use of accommodation remains partial. Throughout South America is where you will find the Giant Otter. They have a body length between 1 and 1.4 m (3.25 - 4.5 ft), a tail length between 45 and 65 cms (18 - 26 inches) and they weigh between 22 and 32 Kgs (49 - 71 lbs). Here’s why. Two of them were gigantic: Sivaonyx hendeyi was an otter the size of a wolf (around 40 kg) and Plesiogulo aff. An average giant otter will weigh between 22 and 32kg (49-71lbs). They build large dens in riverbanks and give birth to 1-5 babies at a time. Their long tail may add as much as 70cm (28in) to this body length. The giant otter is the longest of the otter species but shares a similar weight with the sea otter. The trade in giant otter fur was banned in 1973, but they are still under threat. Check this one out: Giant otter with fish. Male giant otters can attain a length of 1.5-1.7m (4.9-5.6ft). Main Characteristics Giant Otters are the largest mustelid and they are similar to a very large river otter. Logging and farming destroy giant otter breeding sites, and mining poisons the rivers where they live with mercury. Giant otters live in small family groups of 3-10 animals. They are hunted for their water resistant fur and for their meat. The giant otter is native only to the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata river systems in South America. 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