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The giant otter has a handful of other names. In Brazil it is known as ariranha, from the Tupi word arerãîa, or onça-d'água, meaning water jaguar. [6] In Spanish, river wolf (Spanish: lobo de río) and water dog (Spanish: perro de agua) are used occasionally (though the latter also refers to several different animals) and may have been more common in the reports of explorers in the 19th ...
They range in size from the least shrew tenrec, at 4 cm (2 in) plus a 6 cm (2 in) tail, to the giant otter shrew, at 34 cm (13 in) plus a 39 cm (15 in) tail. Afrosoricids primarily eat invertebrates , particularly insects and earthworms, though some will also eat small lizards or other vertebrates.
However, during the winter and in colder environments, fish consumption is significantly lower and the otters use other resources for their food supply. Their diets can consist of amphibians (mainly frogs and pond turtles), bird predation (mainly anserine species), small rodents , and invertebrates such as water beetles, snails, and crayfish.
The giant otter shrew, for example, makes quick dives that last for seconds and grabs small crabs (usually no bigger than 2.8 inches (7 cm) across). [72] The Lutrine opossum is the most carnivorous opossum, usually consuming small birds, rodents, and invertebrates. [ 73 ]
Sthenictis sp. (American Museum of Natural History). Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The smaller variants of the least weasel can be under 20 cm (8 in) in length, while the giant otter of Amazonian South America can measure up to 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) and sea otters can exceed 45 kg (99 lb) in weight.
The giant otter is less of a generalist in habitat, preferring slow-moving water and overhanging vegetation, but where the Neotropical otter may also occur. The giant otter is much larger and hunts in groups, so it can take larger prey. Some areas, like the Pantanal, have high enough productivity such that both otter species can coexist with ...
A medium-sized otter, the southern river otter's body can grow up to 70 cm (28 in) long, with the tail adding about 40 cm (16 in). Body weight averages about 5–10 kg (11–22 lb). Its fur is dark brown on the upper parts and a lighter cinnamon color or can be almost white on the underside.
Otter feeding on fish Video of otters eating frozen fish in the Aquarium of Gijón, Spain. The Eurasian otter's diet mainly consists of fish. [13] Fish is its most preferred choice of food in Mediterranean and temperate freshwater habitats. [14]