scholarly journals The giant river otter in El Tuparro National Park, Colombia

Oryx ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Defler
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
River Otter ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Local Extinctions

Giant river otters were once widespread in the rivers and creeks of the greater Amazon Basin. Hunting for their skins caused many local extinctions and only small scattered populations now remain, although total numbers are unknown. It is seriously endangered in Colombia, and one of the places where it still occurs in any numbers, El Tuparro National Park, is becoming increasingly accessible to people, while the otter populations in adjacent rivers outside the park are even more vulnerable to poaching.

scholarly journals River Otter Distribution and Food Habits in Grand Teton National Park as Part of an Ongoing Project in the GYE

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 75-78
Author(s):  
Kelly Pearce ◽  
Tom Serfass
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Flagship Species ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
River Otters

Grand Teton National Park is part of the known range of the North American river otter, however not much is known about this semi-aquatic mammal within the park. The results presented here are part of a larger project to investigate the potential of the river otter (Lontra canadensis) to serve as an aquatic flagship (species that engender public support and action) for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. River otters, known for their charismatic behavior have the potential to serve as an aquatic flagship species to promote conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The primary objective of this portion of the study was to identify river otter latrines on portions of the Snake River, between Flagg Ranch and Jackson Lake, and between Jackson Lake Dam and Pacific Creek, collect river otter scats to determine diet of the river otter, and employ remote cameras to determine activity patterns of the river otters. Between 20 June and 1 July 2015, 26 river otter latrines were identified during shoreline surveys, 186 river otter scats were collected, and cameras were deployed at 6 latrines between 7 July and 24 August 2015. River otter scats have been cleaned and prepared for analysis, but have not all been processed to date. Camera traps recorded 222 images, of which 7% (n = 14) were of carnivores, 70% (n = 155) were of non-carnivore mammals, and 9% (n = 22) were of birds. River otters were detected at 1 of the 6 latrines, a total of 5 independent times during the study.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential of the River Otter to Promote Aquatic Conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: A Unique Approach for Developing a Long-Term Aquatic Flagship

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 108-113
Author(s):  
Kelly Pearce ◽  
Tom Serfass
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Snake River ◽  
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem ◽  
River Otter ◽  
The Public ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Trout Lake ◽  
Greater Yellowstone

Charismatic “flagship” species are used in many parts of the world to raise public awareness or financial support for conservation, both among local people living in the area and among potential donors living far away. Flagship species can serve as symbols to stimulate conservation awareness and action and have been particularly valuable because of their potential to change citizen behavior, including involvement in conservation and support of fundraising. For a flagship to be successful, however, the target audience and conservation objectives must be established and understood before implementing the concept. Researchers have suggested that a successful flagship should possess traits that endear it to the public, should not be feared or disliked, nor have been used to convey conflicting messages of conservation. Therefore, critical to the flagship approach is understanding attitudes, species preferences, level of wildlife knowledge of people living near and living far away for which support is sought. To determine if the river otter (Lontra canadensis) could be a successful flagship for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), we conducted social science surveys with visitors to Grand Teton National Park who participated in guided-raft trips on the Snake River (n = 768), visitors of Oxbow Bend (n = 254), a popular turn-out for viewing aquatic wildlife, and visitors to Trout Lake in Yellowstone National Park (n = 298). Preliminary results showed that familiarity with the river otters is area dependent (e.g., Trout Lake visitors were more familiar with the species than those visiting Oxbow Bend or rafting the Snake River), river otters are not controversial, but education is needed to better inform the public about river otters’ occurrence and ecosystem function in GYE.

scholarly journals A River Otter's, Lontra canadensis, Capture of a Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, in British Columbia's Gulf Island Waters

2007 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 325
Author(s):  
Michael H. H. Price ◽  
Clare E. Aries
Keyword(s):  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
Phalacrocorax Auritus ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Freshwater Lakes ◽  
Marine Bird ◽  
River Otters

Direct and apparent predation events by River Otters (Lontra canadensis) on birds have been recorded on marine islands and freshwater lakes. We add to this the first known observation of a River Otter capturing a marine bird on the ocean.

scholarly journals Behavior of River Otters in the Oxbow Bend Vicinity, Grand Teton National Park 1997 Season

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 26-28
Author(s):  
Joseph Hall
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Diurnal Activity ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
River Otters ◽  
The Third

1997 was the third and final season devoted to gaining information on the behavior of river otters with most emphasis on nocturnal and diurnal activity. As in the 1995 and 1996 seasons, six automatic camera monitors, activated by treadle switches, were put out at sites often frequented by these animals. In addition, canoes were frequently used for daytime patrols. Field work occurred from July 8 - August 6.

scholarly journals River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Killed by Wolves (Canis lupus) during Winter in Northern Minnesota

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-253
Author(s):  
Thomas D. Gable ◽  
Steve K. Windels ◽  
Ian C. Rautio
Keyword(s):  
Canis Lupus ◽  
National Park ◽  
Lontra Canadensis ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Gray Wolves ◽  
Mammalian Predators ◽  
Voyageurs National Park

Few accounts exist of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) killing small sympatric mammalian predators. In January 2017, we observed a River Otter (Lontra canadensis) that had been killed by wolves on the ice in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota. This is one of only a few documented instances of wolves killing otters.

Two new species of the Didymopanax clade of Schefflera (Araliaceae) from the Brazilian Amazon

Phytotaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 245 (2) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Fiaschi ◽  
GREGORY M. PLUNKETT
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Blade Surface ◽  
Large Tree ◽  
Restricted Distribution ◽  
Two New Species ◽  
Amazonian Forests

Two new species of the largely Brazilian Didymopanax clade of Schefflera (Araliaceae) are here described, illustrated, and compared to similar taxa. Both are from poorly sampled areas in the Brazilian Amazon Basin. Schefflera prancei is known only from the Serra do Divisor National Park, at the border between Brazil and Peru. It differs from the similar S. confusa by its leaflets with narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate blades, with an acuminate to cuspidate apex, and the light brown to grayish sericeous indument on the abaxial blade surface. The second new species, Schefflera pubicarpa, is found in central Amazonian forests, and differs from similar species of the clade by a combination of characters, including a large-tree habit, leaves with 8 to 10 leaflets, inflorescences with ascending secondary branches and lacking tertiary branches, flowers with trichomes along the styles, and pubescent fruits. While this species appears to have a restricted distribution in Brazil, a westward extension reaching into Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador may be likely as new collections from intermediate areas become available.

Evaluating the sustainability of hunting: a comparison of harvest profiles across three Huaorani communities

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARGARET FRANZEN
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Spider Monkey ◽  
Howler Monkey ◽  
Alouatta Seniculus ◽  
The Road ◽  
Yasuni National Park ◽  
High Conservation

Yasuni National Park and Biosphere Reserve in Ecuador's Amazon basin is home to the Huaorani and an area of high conservation value. As a result of oil development in the early 1990s, a road was constructed in the northern region of the Park. Three Huaorani communities have since been established in proximity to the road, two of them when the road was built, ten years prior to this study, and the third in a previously uninhabited area. This allowed for a natural experiment comparing harvest compositions across communities of different ages at one point in time. Harvest profiles suggest that the spider monkey Ateles belzebuth is facing local depletion near the two old communities and the howler monkey Alouatta seniculus may also be depleted near one of the old communities. That the two oldest communities still harvested a relatively high number of other vulnerable species is attributed to their use of the road to increase forest access. The spider monkey appears to be the first species to become depleted in persistently hunted areas.

Assessment of river otter abundance following reintroduction

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 490
Author(s):  
E. Hance Ellington ◽  
Paul D. Flournoy ◽  
Chris P. Dwyer ◽  
Mark D. Witt ◽  
Stanley D. Gehrt
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Leslie Matrix ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Population Abundance ◽  
Exponential Rate ◽  
River Otter ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Leslie Matrix Model ◽  
Harvesting Regime

Context By the early 1900s, river otters (Lontra canadensis) were extirpated across large parts of their range in North America. Over the last several decades they have made a remarkable recovery through widespread reintroduction programs. River otters were reintroduced in Ohio, USA, between 1988 and 1993, and restricted and limited harvesting of this population began in 2005. While circumstantial evidence points to rapid population growth following the reintroduction, changes in population size over time is unknown. Aims We sought to model river otter population growth following reintroduction, and to assess the impact of harvesting. Methods We used empirical and literature-based data on river otter demographics in Ohio to estimate abundance from 1988–2008 using an age- and sex-specific stochastic Leslie matrix model. Additionally, we used statistical population reconstruction (SPR) methods to estimate population abundance of river otters in Ohio from 2006 to 2008. Results Our Leslie matrix model predicted a population size of 4115 (s.d. = 1169) in 2005, with a population growth rate (λ) of 1.28 in 2005. Using SPR methods we found that both trapper effort and initial population abundance influenced our population estimates from 2006 to 2008. If we assumed that river otter pelt price was an accurate index of trapper effort, and if the initial population was between 2000 and 4000, then we estimated the λ to be 1.27–1.31 in 2008 and the exponential rate to be 0.17–0.21 from 2006 to 2008. Conversely, if the river otter population in 2005 was 1000, then we estimated λ to be 1.20 in 2008 and the exponential rate to be 0.08 from 2006 to 2008. Conclusions The river otter population in Ohio appears to have had the potential to grow rapidly following reintroduction. The ultimate effect of the harvesting regime on population abundance, however, remains clouded by limited data availability and high variability. Implications The considerable uncertainty surrounding population estimates of river otters in Ohio under the harvesting regime was largely driven by lack of additional data. This uncertainty clouds our understanding of the status of river otters in Ohio, but a more robust, long-term monitoring effort would provide the data necessary to more precisely monitor the population.

What do local fishermen from the mid Solimões river think about the giant river otter?

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Pereira Lasmar ◽  
Danielle Dos Santos Lima ◽  
Miriam Marmontel
Keyword(s):  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Basic Material ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Fish Schools ◽  
River Otters ◽  
The Past ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Environmental Education Policy ◽  
Solimões River

The giant river otter is a mustelid that uses different habitats in tropical forests and flooded areas of South America. In the past the species suffered heavy hunting pressure, due to the commercial value of its pelt, and nowadays is considered threatened by anthropogenic factors, such as negative interaction with fishing activities. The objective of this work was to analyze the perception of local fishermen in the town of Tefé, Amazonas (Brazil), generating information on possible threats to the species in the area. Fishermen point to the species as a competitor for food and responsible for damages to fishing gear, which causes a negative perception among humans towards the animal. An investigation of this relationship was conducted in Tefé, mid-Solimões river, where one-hundred fishermen were interviewed. Thirty-one percent (n = 31) of the interviewees declared giant river otters damage fishing nets and cause fish schools to flee. Among those who witnessed or had second-hand information on behaviors characteristic of the species, 22% (n = 22) interpreted them as offspring or territorial defense, or an attempt at attack. In the past, 23% (n = 23) of the interviewees practiced hunting activities, aiming the pelt trade and, secondarily, as an item of house decoration, or basic material to build a musical instrument. Information generated may contribute to the elaboration of an environmental education policy, aiming at avoiding future impacts to the giant otters due to lack of information, or misinformation by the local human population.

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