International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

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