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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difficulties/abnormalities involving their hind legs <strong>and</strong> lower back. Covering nearly the<br />
entire enclosure l<strong>and</strong> area with soft loose natural substrates (as recommended) seems to be<br />
the most important husb<strong>and</strong>ry provision needed to maintain healthy walking abilities.<br />
This also seems to be the most important husb<strong>and</strong>ry method needed to avoid or at least<br />
significantly reduce the chance that the aforementioned health problems will occur or to<br />
improve otter health if these problems have developed. This type of husb<strong>and</strong>ry practice<br />
alone can help otters that have developed these difficulties/abnormalities to a moderate <strong>and</strong><br />
even severe degree (because of the continual exposure to hard surfaces), to return to a very<br />
significantly healthier or completely healthy state. Enclosures that do not provide enough<br />
l<strong>and</strong> area (i.e. because of inappropriate l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios) or/<strong>and</strong> digging area may also<br />
worsen or help to cause/predispose animals to the aforementioned problems. Appropriate<br />
l<strong>and</strong> to water area ratios (this is esp. critical in small enclosures) <strong>and</strong> sufficient digging area<br />
sizes are therefore necessary as well. These findings were in part based on the following<br />
studies.<br />
Some giant otters that were kept, over a long period (i.e. 3 to 10 years), in enclosures that<br />
were entirely or mostly composed of hard surfaces developed ongoing walking<br />
difficulties/abnormalities involving their hind legs <strong>and</strong> lower back (Sykes-Gatz & Gatz<br />
unpublished study). The hard surfaces were made of concrete, natural rock, or tile. These otters<br />
were in their middle (e.g. around 4 years old) or late ages when they were observed to have these<br />
problems <strong>and</strong> they were not observed/reported to have any ongoing walking<br />
difficulties/abnormalities before they were housed in the aforementioned conditions. Before<br />
they were housed on hard surfaces as described, they had access to enclosures where the<br />
majority or all of the l<strong>and</strong> area was covered with soft substrates <strong>and</strong> a sufficient amount of l<strong>and</strong><br />
area <strong>and</strong> at least some or expansive digging areas were available. Sufficient swimming areas <strong>and</strong><br />
outdoor access, in temperate or South American climates, were available in every enclosure they<br />
were housed in.<br />
The aforementioned otters showed varying degrees of difficulty <strong>and</strong> abnormalities when<br />
walking. The degrees ranged from moderate to severe. These included shuffling their hind<br />
legs/feet rather than lifting them, walking very stiffly <strong>and</strong>/or abnormally, limping, showing<br />
moderate difficulty when walking, or/<strong>and</strong> having great difficulty when walking. At least<br />
one otter also exhibited abnormal walking in his front legs (i.e. walking very<br />
stiffly/abnormally) as well as his hind legs. (Note: these animals displayed the aforementioned<br />
problems continually throughout the day. Although additionally to these problems <strong>and</strong> after the<br />
animal first rose from sleeping, the particular severity of its physical problem increased<br />
significantly above the degree that it would display throughout the day. This degree of severity<br />
would resolve shortly, e.g. within a few to several minutes or more after the animal first moved<br />
about, <strong>and</strong> then the animal’s particular problem to the degree of severity as described above,<br />
would resume.) Additionally, during observations, it was noted that one severely affected otter<br />
(in his late age) exhibited difficulty when carrying out the physical actions necessary for mating<br />
<strong>and</strong> he was unable to successfully penetrate his partner. The failure to breed was most likely, at<br />
least to a significant degree, due to his aforementioned problems. I.e. the physical disorders<br />
which were expressed by his walking difficulties affected his ability to mate successfully. He<br />
sired no litters during the 8 months he was paired with his mate. (Previously <strong>and</strong> afterwards, his<br />
partner had many litters with another male. Below are examples of how easy <strong>and</strong> inexpensive<br />
enclosure modifications / furnishings can help to improve <strong>and</strong> maintain the giant otter’s physical<br />
[as well as mental <strong>and</strong> behavioral] health.<br />
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