International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

Table 7: Adult Giant Otter Weights and Lengths
Sex/Name Age Weight Institution
1.0 Kuddel 3 years 22 kg
body lengths below**
Dortmund
11 years 26 kg Dortmund
0.1 Katja 6 years 22 kg Dortmund
0.1 Ottilie 9 years, est. age
actual age 11 years
19.9 kg Hagenbeck/
(Flügger 1997)
1.0 Rio *
4 years, 3 months 23.5 kg Philadelphia
9 years 22.5 kg Brasilia
(at 5 months old) (9.1 kg) Hagenbeck/
(Flügger 1997)
1.0 Banjo * 5 years, 8 months 27.5 kg Philadelphia
0.1 Isabella 8 years 22 kg Brasilia
1.0 Tico 14 years 24.2 kg Brasilia
0.1 Sol 2 years 22 kg Brasilia
0.1 Nina 2 years 24 kg Brasilia
0.1 Unknown Adult 24.5 kg Sao Paulo (Autuori
& Deutsch 1977)
*The following weights, all taken in the year 1997, show how the weights of these captive-born
animals fluctuated within a one year period. The weights for Rio were as follows: May: 23.1
kg; July: 23 kg; and December: 23.5 kg. Banjo’s weights were as follows: May: 26.5 kg; July:
27 kg; November: 26.6 kg; and December: 27.5 kg. In 1997 Rio was approx. 4 years old and
Banjo was approx. 5 years old. Note: these animals were weighed via husbandry training.
(Sykes, unpublished reports 1997-1999)
**At 3 years old, Kuddel’s nose to tail length (i.e. entire body length) was 1.65 m and his tail
length 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 animal was captive-born at Hagenbeck Tierpark
(Osmann, pers. comm. 1993)
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