IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group Bulletin
©IUCN/SCC Otter Specialist Group
Abstracts
Records of Using the Same Habitat of Three Species of Otters Lutra lutra, Lutra sumatrana and Aonyx cinereus in the Dharmasraya Sumatran Tiger Rehabilitation Centre Area, West Sumatra, Indonesia
Pages 64 - 70 (Observation)
Sepriyoga Virdana, Ferdi Andeska, Aadrean, Catrini Pratihari Kubontubuh, Elfira Septiansyah, Gusra Wahyudi,
and Nadila Eveisca
The first record of a finding a Lutra lutra in the wild was recorded by a camera trap. Then we report a new record of the existence of Lutra sumatrana in the central part of the island of Sumatra and a new record in Indonesia of the existence of three sympatric otter species in one habitat.
Contents | Full
Text + Links | PDF (736 KB)
The Effects of Biological Water Quality on the Presence of the Smooth-Coated Otter in Far Western Nepal
Pages 71 - 87 (Article)
Balram Awasthi, Baburam Banjade, Nirmala Pandey, Sarita Joshi, Melissa Savage, Purna Man Shrestha, Yam Bahadur Rawat,
and Pusp Raj Bhatt
Otters are a key indicator species for assessing ecological integrity and are highly vulnerable to habitat alteration and environmental pollution. The Smooth-coated otter inhabits both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, preferring shallow water, soft sand and clay riverine banks, and riparian vegetation with good coverage. In our study, we conducted field surveys and analyzed various factors such as water quality, human disturbance, and vegetation structure to to investigate the correlation between otter presence and these parameters..This study reported that Smooth-coated otter habitat in the western Terai is influenced by water quality, vegetation structure, and human activities. Human disturbance has a negative relationship with otter presence, whereas tree canopy is positively correlated with otter presence. The water quality paramete rs (temperature ranging around 37-38 °C, pH around 8, Dissolved Oxygen ranging from 5.12 -5.91 mg/L, Biological Oxygen Demand > 3.35 to 4.55 mg/L and a high concentration of chloride and hardness are the preferred habitat conditions for the Smooth-coated otter. Microbe concentration in the water appears to have no relation with otter presence. This study suggests that riparian vegetation and water quality is likely to affect the capacity of a river or wetlands to support otter populations, and habitat restoration can encourage their return to areas where they are currently absent. Regular monitoring of water quality and vegetation, together with reduced anthropogenic pressures, are urgent needed to maintain long-term population and habitats of Smooth-coated otter in river basins of western lowlands of Nepal.
Contents | Full
Text + Links | PDF (960 KB)
First Record of Gastrointestinal Parasites of African Otters
Pages 88 - 96 (Report)
Michael J. Somers, Jancke L. Loggenberg, and Trevor McIntyre
Parasites are found in many mammalian species, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. They can spread from one species to another and cause severe diseases in some species. Parasite spread is especially important between wild and domestic animals because it can affect human health. In this study, the first record of gastrointestinal parasites in African otters is reported from South Africa. The two otter species investigated were the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and the spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis). We identified the parasite species in collected faeces and examined the differences in parasitic loads between the species and two distinct habitats. Scats were collected from latrine sites in two areas (a rural nature reserve and an urban park) and examined using Teleman’s concentration-sedimentation formalin/ether method. Parasites were identified up to the species level where possible, and loads were calculated. As we only found African clawless otter faeces in the natural area and spotted-necked otter faeces in the urban reserve, we could not determine if the results were caused by differences in habitat or inherent to the host species. Therefore, our results only provide the first record of parasites in these two species. The findings revealed that the parasite species varied between the two areas (or species), although there was no significant difference in parasite loads.
Contents | Full
Text + Links | PDF (390 KB)
Sex Determination of the Asian Small-Clawed Otter (Aonyx cinereus) and Smooth-Coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) by DNA Analysis of Spraints
Pages 97 - 114 (Article)
Wan Yi Teoh, Chee Yoong Woo, Sandeep Sharma, Shyamala Ratnayeke, Yoon-Yen Yow, Jactty Chew, and Pazil Abdul-Patah
Sex identification in natural populations provides insights into population demographics, species kin relationships, and behavioral strategies. We evaluated the applicability of two established sex markers, namely the sex determining region (SRY) gene and zinc finger (ZFX/ZFY) gene on the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) and smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in Malaysia. We used these primers to amplify a portion of the SRY and ZFX/ZFY genes to amplify the DNA extracted from tissue samples of otters of known sex and later tested their efficacy to amplify non-invasive samples with 20 spraint samples from wild otters. The amplicons were then observed by resolving on agarose gel. Results of DNA amplification of all six tissue samples accurately sex-typed otters for both markers. The SRY marker yielded a 70 bp product that amplifies only from males, whereas the ZFX/ZFY marker produced a single fragment of 180 bp in both sexes. Wild-collected spraint samples yielded amplicons of correct size for the SRY marker; however amplification success was low with the ZFX/ZFY marker where five of 20 samples produced the expected PCR product in at least two out of three replicates, five produced spurious bands, and no PCR products were detected with the remainder. Stringent laboratory techniques are required when dealing with non-invasive samples such as spraints where allelic drop-out and PCR products from non-target DNA are common problems. To further test the robustness of both markers on non-invasive samples, fecal samples of known sex collected from captive otters are recommended for future studies. In conclusion, both SRY and ZFX/ZFY sex markers performed reliably for Asian small-clawed and smooth-coated otters. The success of both sex markers suggests that this method is applicable in wildlife forensics and demographic studies of otters in Malaysia and elsewhere in their range.
Contents | Full
Text + Links | PDF (767 KB)
Freshwater Crab (Potamon algeriense) in the Diet of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra)
in the Lower Valley of Beht River in Morocco
Pages 115 - 123 (Report)
Abdallah Mahamoud, Mohammed Hilmi, Melvin Ondiba, Mohammed Aziz El Agbani, and Abdeljebbar Qninba
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is a carnivorous, semi-aquatic species found in Morocco’s wild fauna. In 2020, a search for signs of presence combined with the collection of spraints was carried out in the lower valley of the main course of the Beht river. The aim of the study was to confirm that the otter does indeed frequent the area and to study the species diet. Surveys were carried out during which thirty-one spraints were collected, processed and analyzed in the laboratory. Several signs of otter presence in the lower valley of Beht river were discovered. This work has highlighted an originality (not reported to our knowledge for the diet of the Eurasian otter): the consumption of freshwater crab (Potamon algeriense), especially during dry periods.
Contents | Full
Text + Links | PDF (700 KB)