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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healthy/normal rate. Conducting regular ultrasounds is a very effective tool to monitor her<br />
health condition <strong>and</strong> status of pregnancy. Ultrasounds were also conducted at varying times to<br />
determine if this female was pregnant <strong>and</strong> at other times when she appeared pregnant. False<br />
pregnancies (i.e. at least three) were confirmed via ultrasound.<br />
The aforementioned female has also been trained to allow milk samples to be drawn after litter<br />
loss (see Chapter 3 <strong>and</strong> Section 5 below). (This must only be done after litter loss <strong>and</strong> via<br />
training.) Unfortunately, the only sample drawn was lost due to technical reasons, but training<br />
<strong>and</strong> study will continue at this institution to gather more samples. No other institutions are<br />
known to have drawn milk samples from giant otters <strong>and</strong> information gathered could be very<br />
helpful to determine ideal h<strong>and</strong>rearing replacement milk formulas for this species.<br />
A 15 year old male (at Dortmund Zoo) was trained to allow physiological information, such as<br />
resting heart rate, respiration, <strong>and</strong> body temperature (i.e. a thermometer is placed under the skin<br />
folds of the otter’s arm pit) to be monitored. As well, this individual allows the examination of<br />
his body condition through h<strong>and</strong> palpation via husb<strong>and</strong>ry training. This otter also has been<br />
trained to receive portable ultrasound <strong>and</strong> initial ultrasound sessions have already begun<br />
(although pictures from him have not been attained yet; see Chapter 3).<br />
For example, little information is available on precise giant otter body temperatures. No rectal<br />
body temperature of healthy giant otters (neither cubs nor adults) that are not under anesthesia<br />
or immobilization have been found or been reported. At Dortmund Zoo, a body temperature,<br />
taken with an oral thermometer placed snugly between the loose skin of the armpit of a 15 year<br />
old adult male giant otter, was taken under normal daily circumstances via training (i.e. otter<br />
was not immobilized or stressed). The otter’s temperature was 37.28 o C when he was at rest (i.e.<br />
he was lying down but not sleeping). Unfortunately, it is not clear if this temperature can be<br />
compared with rectal temperatures. Although the temperature of an adult domesticated ferret<br />
was taken in the same manner (under the skin folds of his armpit, during rest) <strong>and</strong> it was 37.8 o C.<br />
A couple minutes after the ferret got up from this resting state (i.e. he moved around a little), his<br />
rectal temperature was 38.0 o C.<br />
Heart <strong>and</strong> respiration rates were also gathered from the aforementioned otter under the same<br />
circumstances (via training). Heart rate was monitored either with the h<strong>and</strong> of the trainer or<br />
with a stethoscope <strong>and</strong> respiration was visually monitored. Respiration occurred at 7<br />
respirations per 15 seconds (or 28 respirations/minute) <strong>and</strong> heart beat varied from 33-34 <strong>and</strong> 28<br />
heart beats/15 seconds when the otter was at rest during the same training session (i.e. he was<br />
not sleeping, but just lying down). When the otter was in full or deep sleep 8, 9, 10, 11, <strong>and</strong> 12<br />
respirations/minute were observed on varying occasions. When the otter was in a light sleep 13,<br />
14, 15 respirations/minute were observed. At rest 24, 20, 19, <strong>and</strong> 18 respirations per minute<br />
have also been observed on varying occasions.<br />
If you have applicable information you would like to contribute, please see part B above for<br />
instructions. As well if you have interest to research or train or are engaging in such studies or<br />
husb<strong>and</strong>ry training/procedures already, please alert the compiler/author.<br />
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