IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group
Volume 41 Issue 1 (March 2024)
Abstracts
The Current Status of Regulation of Asian Small-Clawed Otters Aonyx cinereus Trade in Japan
Pages 4 - 14 (Report)
Yumiko Okamoto, Chris R. Shepherd, and Hiroshi Sasaki
>The Asian Small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus is traded internationally to supply demand for pets, both legally and illegally. In 2019, the species was elevated from being listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to Appendix I, which generally prohibits international trade, as trade was deemed a threat to the conservation of this species. Although the Japanese national legislation strictly protects the CITES Appendix I-listed species, it is still possible to trade the Asian Small-clawed Otters domestically, subject to the necessary registration procedures. Here we look at current trade levels of Asian Small-clawed Otters in Japan and the impact of the CITES up-listing.
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First Breeding Record of Asian Small-Clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus (Illiger, 1815) from Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, India
Pages 15 - 23 (Short Note)
Shantanu Sharma, Uttam Sawant, Shah Nawaz Jelil, Akash Patil, Abhilasha Srivastava, and Ramesh Krishnamurthy
Sahyadri Tiger Reserve is a very understudied complex of the Western Ghats landscape of India. The presence of diverse and heterogenous habitats supports a diverse species assembly. Here, we report on the occurrence and breeding of Asian Small-clawed Otters in the tiger reserve through opportunistic camera trapping conducted from November 2021–March 2022 at sampled locations along streams. Asian Small-clawed Otters were recorded from five locations with a photographic capture rate of 0.94 (± 0.57 SE) and in group sizes of 1–5 individuals, including pups. However, extensive surveys are necessary to generate reliable abundance estimates and to clearly understand otter distribution patterns in this landscape.
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Do Natural River Pits pose a Danger to Otters? A Field Report from the Moyar River, Western Ghats, India
Pages 24 - 30 (Report)
Kannadasan Narasimmarajan, Himanshu Shekhar Palei, and Manu Thomas Mathai
This paper reports an unusual and accidental mortality event of a group of Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus nirnai Illiger, 1815) trapped inside natural river pits in the Moyar River, Western Ghats, India. Otter populations are likely declining in the Western Ghats region due to various anthropogenic pressures and human-cause mortalities (poaching, roadkill, retaliate killing). Safeguarding otters from accidental mortality will help support their future survival. We discuss preventive measures to avoid such a cause of accidental mortality.
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First Report of the Origin and Distribution of the Brachial Plexus in the Scapular and Brachial Regions in a Neotropical River Otter (Lontra longicaudis)
Pages 31 - 45 (Article)
Karla Johanna Ramírez Arango, Stephanie Delgado Puentes, Omar Leonardo Aristizábal Páez, Juan Fernando Vélez García
The neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) is a carnivoran species belonging to the family Mustelidae. There are no reports about the brachial plexus, and its knowledge is essential to clinical diagnoses and surgical procedures of the thoracic limb. Variations in the origin and distribution of the brachial plexus may exist among carnivoran species. Thus, the present study aimed to describe the origin of the brachial plexus and the distribution of its nerves in the scapular and brachial regions of L. longicaudis. One formaldehyde-fixed specimen of L. longicaudis was dissected. The brachial plexus originated from the last three cervical spinal nerves and the first two thoracic spinal nerves (C6-T2). The brachial plexus nerves and their distribution in the scapular and brachial regions of L. longicaudis were similar to those described in most carnivorans. However, differences were found, including two communicating branches (rami communicantes) from the nervus musculocutaneus to the nervus medianus, one proximal and one distal. The ramus communicans proximalis has also been found in other mustelids, while the ramus communicans distalis has not been found in other mustelids. Thus, the brachial plexus of L. longicaudis may present variations compared with other carnivorans.
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Successful Tracking of an African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) via an externally attached Telemetry Device
Pages 46 - 52 (Report)
Trevor McIntyre, and Francois Roux
The neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) is a carnivoran species belonging to the family Mustelidae. There are no reports about the brachial plexus, and its knowledge is essential to clinical diagnoses and surgical procedures of the thoracic limb. Variations in the origin and distribution of the brachial plexus may exist among carnivoran species. Thus, the present study aimed to describe the origin of the brachial plexus and the distribution of its nerves in the scapular and brachial regions of L. longicaudis. One formaldehyde-fixed specimen of L. longicaudis was dissected. The brachial plexus originated from the last three cervical spinal nerves and the first two thoracic spinal nerves (C6-T2). The brachial plexus nerves and their distribution in the scapular and brachial regions of L. longicaudis were similar to those described in most carnivorans. However, differences were found, including two communicating branches (rami communicantes) from the nervus musculocutaneus to the nervus medianus, one proximal and one distal. The ramus communicans proximalis has also been found in other mustelids, while the ramus communicans distalis has not been found in other mustelids. Thus, the brachial plexus of L. longicaudis may present variations compared with other carnivorans.
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Metastatic Mammary Gland Carcinoma in a Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
Pages 53 - 62 (Report)
Estefani Segato Fujita, Daniela Magalhães Drummond De Mello, Antony Rodrigues Do Nascimento Filho, Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves, Camila Tochetto, and Fernando C. Weber Rosas
TDiagnostics of neoplasia in otters kept in captivity have been discreetly increasing over the last years, especially in older individuals. Here, we describe a case of a mammary gland carcinoma in a nulliparous 17-year-old female giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) kept at the National Institute for Amazonian Research in Brazil. It represents the first report of mammary carcinoma in a giant otter. The animal presented with lameness of the right hind limb, weight loss, dyspnea, impaired locomotion, and signs of pain. Physical examination was performed with the observation of a medium sized mass of approximately 5 cm3 in the left mammary gland. On that occasion, samples for cytology and blood tests were collected. Results suggested the presence of mammary carcinoma and health alterations. The individual showed progressively poor health and was non-responsive to medical treatment. Euthanasia was performed and necropsy showed cachexia, a nodule in the mammary gland and an increase in the volume of mesenteric lymph nodes. Nodules from the mammary gland, pulmonary parenchyma, and mesenteric lymph node were collected for histopathological and immunohistochemistry analyses. Histopathology results revealed a mammary carcinoma complex subtype at stage II, with confirmed results by immunohistochemistry, which yielded positive results for CK Pan, CK19 and CK7 tumoral markers in the neoplastic cells. The regular health monitoring of captive otters may aid in the understanding of the prevalence and the etiology of this type of tumor, as also to take preventive measures to avoid premature death of individuals.
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