International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

are to the water, but it is also dependent on all of the enclosure conditions.) E.g. when the otters
leave the water to enter their sleeping areas, water will be easily tracked and carried into the
nestboxes and underground dens, as well as onto the land that lies between these resting places
and the water. (Because giant otters take naps throughout the day, numerous trips of this nature
can be made during the day, although they also rest on other land areas as well.) Otters will also
quickly dampen/wet these areas when they use them to dry off and groom on because sufficient
land area and/or adequate substrates are not conveniently available for them to use for these
activities before they enter their sleeping areas. Without sufficient land area and/or adequate
substrates, the aforementioned areas will likely remain very damp or wet. Note: young cubs will
primarily stay/be kept by their parents in and near their nestboxes, dens, and natural underground
dens and on the land near the water’s edge. In the above inappropriate conditions, otters will be
exposed to damp/wet conditions for long/extended periods and poor health, serious health
problems, or even death can result. E.g. cub death by infection has occurred during cub-rearing
because of these conditions. Parents, with no other choice, will be subject to keeping their cubs
as well as themselves in such conditions. Also when insufficient land area exists, parents may be
encouraged to put their cubs into the water more frequently than they should.
Appropriate land to water ratios (i.e. sufficient land area) and enclosure land and floors nearly
entirely covered with soft sand, mulch, or/and soft loose soil (i.e. with the substrate types,
depths, and quality as recommended) are the most important husbandry provisions needed to
offer optimal grooming area and keep the land, floors, nestboxes and otters on land dry and
clean. In such conditions the otter’s fur coat, body, and feet will remain in a healthy condition
and otters can carry out the full extent of their innate grooming behaviors. The other
recommended land and water area locations and designs and locations for nestboxes, dens, and
areas for natural underground dens should be provided for similar reasons. It is also especially
important that the areas where young cubs primarily stay/are kept, remain as dry as possible.
Additional furnishings (large diameter logs with bark, hollow logs large enough for entrance,
nestboxes with bedding substrates etc.) that provide dry areas in enclosures should also be
offered. This is esp. important when indoor enclosures are not available. Natural underground
dens that otters dig into hillsides / banks (constructed as recommended) also provide additional
dry areas.
Mental and behavioral health problems:
Conditions that negatively affect the ability to successfully rear cubs, adjust to new/unusual
situations, and maintain mental and behavioral health.
Giant otters with healthy behavior and the recommended enclosure conditions, dig deep into and
groom, dry, rub, roll, dig, and scratch on/into soft loose natural substrates throughout the entire
expanse of their land area. As instinctively avid diggers and groomers, these are among their
most favored and frequently performed land activities; i.e. they perform these with a high degree
of frequency and intensity, and long (relatively speaking) duration throughout the day. They do
not just limit the location of these activities to a specific enclosure area, e.g. to just limited
digging and grooming areas that may be provided, they instead use the entire enclosure land area
to perform these behaviors. (Obviously, if the entire land area does not have the appropriate
conditions, these behaviors cannot be carried out as described. See below.) Giant otters groom
and/or dry themselves by rubbing, rolling, scratching, and digging on the surface of/into soft
loose natural substrates. During these activities substrate particles are moved/dug freely about
and otters’ often cover their body/fur with the freed particles. They groom themselves when they
are dry as well as wet and also rub on substrates to help mark their territory. Pteronura also dig
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