International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

or high humidity, esp. extended periods). Eventually serious health problems, such as
aforementioned, could develop.
A lack of sufficient land area, resulting from inappropriate land to water area ratios, may
not offer otters enough area for the aforementioned necessities. Continual exposure to wet,
very damp, muddy, unclean, slow drying, or poor draining surfaces/substrates can cause
poor fur coat condition. Additionally, abrasive (e.g. abrasive sands such as builder’s sharp
construction sand), rough, or sharp surfaces (sometimes found in artificial rockwork) can
wear away guard furs and result in poor coat condition as well.
It is difficult, unenriching or/and uncomfortable for otters to dry and groom themselves
when hard, coarse, or tightly packed/compacted (i.e. any substrate that is not loose enough
for otters to easily dig into) substrates or insufficient land area must be used for these
activities. These surfaces are listed in Chapter 2 Section 2. It is important to note that pebbles,
gravel, or small rocks (whether they are smooth and rounded or not), soil that is not loose
enough for otters to easily dig into, river rocks, and mulch, sand or soil mixed with any
kind of pebbles, gravel, small rocks or construction sand throughout are included within
this category as well as the other inappropriate substrates. (Hard surfaces, e.g. concrete, tile
etc. are not absorbent and water cannot drain through them. When such surfaces are wet or
damp it is impossible for otters to effectively dry and groom themselves on them.) It is just as
difficult for otters to dry and groom themselves when the only soft loose substrates
available are those provided in nestboxes, small or limited grooming areas or/and small
digging pits. Even freshly offered bedding material, such as straw, woodwool, etc., or
small areas for grooming become wet and lose their absorbent drying qualities quickly.
As well, when not enough land area (because of inappropriate land to water ratios), limited
(size) grooming areas, or inappropriate substrate depths, types, or qualities are provided,
otters will not be able to carry out the full extent of their innate grooming behaviors as is
necessary to maintain the otter’s health. Giant otters with healthy behavior and appropriate
enclosure conditions will use the entire expanse of their land area to groom and/or dry
themselves, by rubbing, rolling, scratching, and digging on the surface of/into soft loose natural
substrates. Giant otters groom themselves when they are dry as well as wet. Digging and
scratching on/into surface substrates are a function of grooming and/or drying as well as
marking territory, forming/clearing “campsites”, creating dens, and simply digging. (Note:
giant otters dig deeply into substrates whether they can create underground dens or not. They
also rub on substrates to help mark their territory.) During grooming and drying substrate
particles are moved/dug freely about and otters’ often cover their body/fur with the freed
particles. Being avid groomers, this species grooms frequently throughout the day. See in Part
C below, the mental and behavioral health problems/abnormalities that can develop when
grooming and/or digging behaviors can not be carried out to their full extent. Otters either will
not or cannot use, or cannot use without inefficiency, difficulty, lack of comfort, and/or harm to
their health and/or normality, inappropriate substrate types, qualities, or depths, or insufficient
land area to groom on. E.g. otters may groom on smooth rounded pebbles, abrasive sand,
concrete, gunnite, or sand or soil mixed with pebbles, gravel, or small rocks throughout, if no
other better grooming area exists.
Inappropriate substrate types, depths, or qualities, land and water area locations or
designs (esp. inappropriate land to water ratios that do not offer enough land), or/and locations
for nestboxes, dens or areas for natural underground dens cause the following. (See the
introduction above for more information). The dens, nestboxes (including bedding
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