International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Deciduous plants (i.e. trees, shrubs etc.) should be planted / offered rather than coniferous<br />
plants so that otters are not exposed to sap, pine needles etc. which may irritate the otters’ feet<br />
or skin or foul the otters’ fur. Plants with thorns or thistles should not be offered for similar<br />
reasons. (<strong>Giant</strong> otters have been reported to keep away from such plants.) Toxic or poisonous<br />
plants or plants that may bear poisonous leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds etc. should not be offered.<br />
Pesticides or other dangerous chemicals should not be used in enclosures. Enclosures should<br />
not be so shaded from the sun, i.e. by trees, bushes etc., that the shade would inhibit the l<strong>and</strong><br />
area from sufficiently drying (although inappropriate l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> water area designs <strong>and</strong> locations<br />
<strong>and</strong> substrates are usually the reason that l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> floors do not remain dry enough, so these<br />
conditions must be corrected in all cases). <strong>Giant</strong> otters should also be provided with areas<br />
where they can lay in the direct sunlight, as they enjoy sunning themselves.<br />
It is highly recommended to offer deep leaf piles (esp. indoor where it remains dry) as they<br />
are another of the otters’ favorite areas to dig, groom, play, <strong>and</strong> rest in. (See Section 4 above for<br />
more information on leaf piles <strong>and</strong> what qualities they should possess.) Leaf litter (i.e. fallen<br />
leaves), scattered branches, sticks, tree bark etc. can be left on the ground or offered for<br />
manipulation <strong>and</strong> investigation.<br />
Section 7<br />
Water Area Designs <strong>and</strong> Furnishings<br />
Observations of wild giant otter swimming behaviors in Suriname:<br />
“The depth of dives varied from a few cm to approximately 3m in large<br />
rivers…[They swam <strong>and</strong> fished in both shallow water <strong>and</strong>]…in the relatively deep<br />
water of 3-6m. The feeding behavior sequence begins with active aquatic<br />
locomotion when a fishing area has been reached, usually associated with<br />
shallow areas of 50cm to 2m in depth. The otters search the bottom <strong>and</strong> dive<br />
under floating vegetation, surfacing among the mats for a quick gasp, pushing the<br />
head out of the water only long enough to open the mouth wide to breathe,<br />
submerging almost immediately. Underwater chases are very rapid <strong>and</strong>, in the<br />
shallows create turmoil as several otters splash through the water in pursuit until<br />
the fish is seized….A fish in deeper water will elicit a single dive whereas in<br />
shallow water it may entail several dives <strong>and</strong> lunges. Perhaps this is due to the<br />
reduced mobility of the fish in the shallow water glutted with vegetation whereas<br />
in deeper, more open water, the fish can escape more easily or the otter ab<strong>and</strong>ons<br />
the chase more quickly.” (Duplaix 1980)<br />
Wild Pteronura very frequently <strong>and</strong> commonly use shallow water to play, fish,<br />
<strong>and</strong> wade in (Staib 2002).<br />
It is necessary that a swim area is provided. The recommended l<strong>and</strong> to water area ratio<br />
required for each indoor <strong>and</strong> outdoor enclosure as well as separable enclosure area will<br />
specify the size of the water area (pool, pond, swim tank etc.) that is needed in each area.<br />
The water area proportion in the ratio/size will vary according to the total size of the enclosure<br />
or separable enclosure area. Each enclosure or separable enclosure area below 240 m²<br />
(2,583.4 ft²) in size requires a different l<strong>and</strong> to water area ratio based on its specific size.<br />
134