According to the report made by IUCN recently on the Red List species, out of the 13 species of otter worldwide, 12 are declining in number (IUCN, 2015). Their tail measures 465 mm to 515 mm long and is typically stout and tapered. All posts. Aonyx capensis: information (1) Aonyx capensis: pictures (2) Species Aonyx cinerea Oriental small-clawed otter. Aonyx cinerea: information (1) Aonyx cinerea: pictures (14) To cite this page: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. Their head and body length ranges from 762 mm to 880 mm. Key Information: This is the smallest of the world’s otters, about 0.9 m long, weighing around 5 kg. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater species of otter.African clawless otters are found near permanent bodies of water in savannah and lowland forest areas. Size Head & body length: 600 to 1,000 mm (24 to 39 in.) Chat. Grid View List View. Quote. The other species, the spotted-necked otter They are also slightly larger than its close relative, the Congo clawless Otter.Their diet consists mainly crabs, frogs and fish. They are well known for the luxurious hair that they have. And, just like their name suggests, they do not have claws. It is widely-distributed across South Africa and the second largest freshwater otter species in the world, reaching between 113 and 163 cm in length and weighing between 12 and 21 kg. Ask. Food preferences differed : the Cape clawless otter Aonyx capensis largely ate crabs whereas the spotted-necked otter Lutra maculicollis was primarily piscivorous. The Brazilian, or Giant, otter, is the largest freshwater otter and the sea otter is the largest otter of all (fresh and salt water). The major threat is pythons that can lay in lure near the water and human activities. Text. The African Clawless Otter hunts day and night and, while it does favour an aquatic environment, it eats prey from both the land and water. The status of the Congo clawless otter remains a subject of debate, however, with most researchers considering the animal to be a subspecies of the African small-clawed otter (Aonyx capensis) and giving it the taxonomic name A. capensis congicus.Others claim that the Congo clawless otter is a valid… L. maculicollis showed greater trophic plasticity in different habitats and exhibited a wider trophic niche than A. capensis. The Cape clawless otter, also known as the African clawless otter, is one of two otter species to occur in South Africa. African clawless otter inhabits lakes, streams and rivers in savannas and lowland forests. roadkillandcrows . The African clawless otter has been found to travel through and sometimes inhabit polluted systems in parts of their range, but the long-term costs of doing so are yet to be determined. It is very silky in appearance as well as to the touch. Steve was lucky enough to encounter one feeding a few evenings ago… “After a day at sea, I was changing out of my wetsuit when other divers mentioned seeing an otter on the rocks. African clawless otter is a mammal that belongs to the weasel family. They are weaned at 45 - 60 days and are fully mature at a year old. The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater species of otter. Species Aonyx capensis African clawless otter. Introduction: African clawless otters (Aonyx capensis) are extremely elusive animals because of their survival instinct to swim away from riverbanks at the slightest disturbance. Like other otters, African Clawless Otters like to hang out in areas that will provide them with plenty of water, like the savannah. The African clawless otter is a large freshwater otter found throughout much of Sub-Saharan Africa. 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