International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

dry easily, drain well, and be resistant to eroding easily after otters dig large areas of
vegetation/turf away, regularly groom and dig into the soil throughout the entire
enclosure, and regularly carry/track water onto the land. Soil, with/without vegetation or
hills, needs to be able to retain all of the necessary qualities even after these uses (see
Section 3 below for why).
Any substrate, with/without vegetation/turf, that does not possess or cannot retain all of
the aforementioned necessary qualities is an inappropriate substrate to offer for direct
use. When inappropriate substrates exist within any indoor or outdoor giant otter
enclosure, whether the enclosure is already in use or not, it is crucial that the appropriate
soft sand, mulch, or soft loose soil types, depths, and qualities be furnished as
recommended to provide the necessary surfaces (see below). These methods are also
essential when the quality and effectiveness of any substrate to function as it should is
questionable (esp. in the case of soil). Otters either will not or cannot use or cannot use without
difficulty, inefficiency, lack of comfort, and/or harm to their health and/or normality,
inappropriate substrates or insufficient deep digging area sizes to dig, groom, play, exercise, or
simply live on. See Parts A-B and below for the mulch, sand, and soil depths that are needed to
cover over inappropriate surfaces. Also described are the mulch bark piece sizes that are too
large for otters to use and the recommended size for use, as well as the specific mulch type and
sand qualities needed. The required soil qualities are discussed above. Note: soil should only
be used on natural outdoor land areas; see why below.
When land and water area designs and locations that are necessary to prevent the land
from becoming very damp/wet are not provided as recommended (esp. enclosure land to
water ratios that offer smaller land area proportions than recommended) land and floors
should be covered with the appropriate sand and/or mulch types, rather than soil. This is
because sand and mulch drain and dry more easily than soils. Although it is also necessary,
whether the enclosure is already in use or not, that the inappropriate land and water area
designs and locations be corrected so that at least the minimum recommended
requirements for these are fulfilled. This is essential to prevent health problems.
All hard or artificial floor and land surfaces (i.e. concrete, tile, rockwork, gunnite, wood etc.)
other than pebbles, gravel, and small rocks, must be nearly entirely covered over with
mulch and/or soft sand as recommended in Parts A-B below. Soil should not be used to
cover over these surfaces. [Soil will not be able to drain properly or dry easily if it is used to
cover over (i.e. if it is placed on top of) hard or artificial surfaces such as concrete etc..] Areas
of pebbles, gravel, and small rocks must be removed or covered over differently (see below).
Soil, sand, or mulch mixed with pebbles, gravel or small rocks (smooth, rounded, or
otherwise) throughout, construction or abrasive sand and any substrates that contain
these mixed throughout, and areas of pebbles, gravel, and small rocks must not be used
within any enclosure. If areas of these substrates are already within enclosures they
should be totally removed. After these unsuitable substrates are removed, then it is necessary
to cover over nearly the entire base surface area with mulch, sand, and/or soil as recommended
in Parts A-B. (Mulch generally does not contain pebbles or small rocks and soil usually does
not contain many larger rocks throughout, although if they or any other substrate does, they
should be removed as well.) Giant otters can easily dig 100 cm (3.28 ft) deep and this behavior
is carried out frequently. They may dig into inappropriate substrates if no other better digging
area exists, but digging and other activities carried out on these surfaces, will harm the otters.
Removing the inappropriate substrates will also prevent otters from digging them up and
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