International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
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At Hagenbeck Tierpark, Wünnemann (1995 b ) reports, “The weight of newborn cubs differs<br />
between 150 <strong>and</strong> 265 g. The total length has been measured with 1.1 cubs, which died after 3<br />
days: 33 cm was the total length of both, the tails measuring 10.5 <strong>and</strong> 11 cm. The canines were<br />
already present at this early age!” At 1 day old two males from the same litter weighed 220 g<br />
<strong>and</strong> 265 g (Hagenbeck & Wünnemann 1992). A 5 day old female weighed 200g <strong>and</strong> two 4 day<br />
old females from the same litter weighed 200 g <strong>and</strong> 250 g. Also at 13 days old a male weighed<br />
320 g <strong>and</strong> another 13 day old cub from another litter weighed 220 g. [Note: all of the cubs’<br />
aforementioned were weighed just after their deaths.] (See additional information on specific<br />
<strong>and</strong> additional cub weights taken at Hagenbeck Tierpark in Table 6.)<br />
At Sao Paulo Zoo Autuori & Deutsch (1977) report, “On the 10 th of March, 1971, 5 young were<br />
born after 65 days of gestation. Two days later the 5 young otters were found dead, without any<br />
apparent signs of injuries. They were 3 males <strong>and</strong> 2 females. These young were weighed <strong>and</strong><br />
measured soon after death revealing the following data:” Male 213 g, length 33.5 cm; male 193<br />
g, 33.5 cm; male 161 g, length 31.0 cm; female 230 g, length 33.5 cm; female 209 g, length 32.5<br />
cm. “The tail length was about 10 cm. The head measured about 7 cm from the base of the<br />
neck.” They further report, a male cub born on December 10, 1971 weighed 3 kg 815 g at its<br />
death which occurred on May 1, 1972. “The necropsy did not reveal the “causa mortis”. It was<br />
practically an atrophic animal. We observed earlier a grayish circular spot – about 1.5 cm in<br />
diameter – on the smallest animal’s tail [i.e. the otter just referred to]. Some days after birth,<br />
this specimen showed very little signs of progress, compared with its sister <strong>and</strong> depended<br />
always on its mother’s help for feeding until its death.<br />
The following cubs were born at Dortmund Zoo (Germany). These cubs were parent-reared <strong>and</strong><br />
either died (at the age listed below) with the parents or just within a few hours after being pulled<br />
for h<strong>and</strong>rearing. Both parents were captive born.<br />
Day 3 (i.e. died on the third day after birth.); male; weight 220g; total length 34.5cm; the tail<br />
length was 12cm <strong>and</strong> the tip of nose to tail base length was 22.5cm.<br />
Day 3; male; weight 190g; total length 33cm; the tail length was 11cm <strong>and</strong> the tip of nose to tail<br />
base length was 22cm.<br />
Day 4; female; weight 180g; total length 29.5cm; the tail length was 10cm <strong>and</strong> the tip of nose to<br />
tail base length was 19.5cm.<br />
Day 4; female; weight 220g; total length 31.5cm; the tail length was 9cm <strong>and</strong> the tip of nose to<br />
tail base length was 22.5cm.<br />
The following record of weight gain comes from a wild born male giant otter h<strong>and</strong>reared at<br />
Emperor Valley Zoo in Trinidad. 4 months old – 9 pounds [4.09 kg], 5 months – 11 pounds [5<br />
kg] , 9 months – 30 pounds [13.62 kg] , 11 months – 38 pounds [17.25 kg] , 13 months – 40<br />
pounds [18.16 kg], 19 months – 48 pounds [21.79 kg].<br />
A giant otter male, (named Rio) born at Hagenbeck Tierpark weighed 9.1 kg [20 lbs.] at 5<br />
months old (Flügger 1997). At 4 years <strong>and</strong> 3 months old, he weighed 23.5 kg [51.8 lbs.] (Sykes,<br />
unpublished report 1997, Philadelphia Zoo). (See additional weights that were taken during his<br />
fourth year of life in Table 7.) At 9 years old he weighed 22.5 kg (Brasilia Zoo, pers. comm.).<br />
A 3 year old male giant otter (named Kuddel) weighed 22 kg <strong>and</strong> had a nose to tail length (i.e.<br />
entire body length) that was 1.65 m <strong>and</strong> a tail length that was 65 cm. The circumference of his<br />
chest behind his elbows measured 57 cm, the circumference of his stomach was 65 cm, the<br />
circumference of his abdomen was 53 cm, <strong>and</strong> the length of his lower arm was 14 cm. This<br />
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