Though mostly solitary animals, African clawless otters will live in neighboring territories of family groups of up to five individuals. It is a freshwater and intertidal dweller of Africa. Definition of African clawless otter. Otters along the trail are protected, as it falls within the Tsitsikamma National Park. It occurs in any large area of suitable habitat to the south of the Sahara, except the Congo Basin. Groups of 4 to 6, consisting of 2 to 3 adults with 2 to 3 young, are sometimes seen, and larger groups sometimes form to forage. Weaning takes place after 45 to 60 days old. The absence of claws and the reduced webbing on its paws gives this species incredible dexterity. Surviving mostly in southern Africa, the otters live in areas surrounding permanent bodies of water, usually surrounded by some form of foliage. They can be found near permanent bodies of water in savannahs and lowland forests. These critters are the second largest known freshwater otter species, after the giant river otter.They can be found in sub-Saharan Africa. These otters sport long whiskers on their white-to-cream faces and run on short, clawless feet with no webbing. If threatened, a high-pitched scream is emitted to warn neighboring otters and confuse a predator. Found insideAFRICAN CLAWLESS OTTER Aonyx capensis Fisi maji kubwa (Swa) Habitat: rivers, streams, lakes and marshes Length: 72–92 cm Tail:40–71 cm Weight: 12–34 kg Status: although widespread, under threat from man and dogs in most areas A very ... Found inside – Page 26Like the Asian Short-clawed Otter, the African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) and much larger Congo Clawless Otter (A. congicus) have almost no claws at all. Their toes are also unwebbed and are used, dexterously and sensitively, ... An African clawless otter is a solitary animal. Found insideSpotted-necked otter Lutra maculicollis Kleinotter Description The fur is short and dense, varying in colour from chocolate to reddish ... Cape clawless otter/African clawless otter Habitat Occur in a wide range of habitats except desert, These creatures are … They are independent and reproductively mature from the age of 1 year. On land, they either trot like a seal or walk slowly, sometimes travelling over 7 km between one body of water and another. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub-Saharan Africa. In forested areas, logging may be a major threat, since erosion leads to greatly increased turbidity in rivers which can in turn greatly reduce the populations of fish on which the otters depend. Little is known about the mating system of African clawless otters. Living in Africa, environments can become very hot. Aonyx capensis is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and of the order Carnivora. This species is most active at dawn and dusk (known as crepuscular). At Home Education For Parents Best Buys Days Out. The word 'aonyx' means clawless, derived from the prefix a- ("without") and onyx ("claw/hoof"). African clawless otter is similar to these species: Spotted-necked otter, Neotropical otter, Southern river otter and more. Shop African Clawless Otter Face otter magnets designed by OtterFamily as well as other otter merchandise at TeePublic. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Oldstyle id: 577b8ce82b7857d1ada9c14614d1240a", 10.1644/1545-1410(2001)671<0001:ac>2.0.co;2, "Habitat selection by the Cape clawless otter (, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=African_clawless_otter&oldid=1036622267, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from August 2010, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 August 2021, at 18:17. Found inside – Page 53Striped polecat Otters There are two species of otter in southern Africa. The Cape clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is the larger and better-known. Weighing up to 18kg and averaging around 130cm in length, it has a typical otter build, ... IUCN Red List IUCN Otter specialist group. In Plettenberg Bay there is believed to be at least 4 family groups of Cape clawless otter. The word 'aonyx' means clawless, derived from the prefix a- ("without") and onyx ("claw/hoof"). The third largest species in the world, the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) is highly versatile and can be found in unpolluted rivers, lakes, dams, swamps and marshes: wherever freshwater crabs, its main food, are present. The young otters love playing and engage in play-fighting, swimming, playing with food and sliding on rocks, even fetching small pebbles tossed into the water as they sink to the bottom. The African clawless otter lives in dens, or cave-like shelters. Found inside – Page 1138African clawless otters . Antorbital portion of skull heavily developed , broad , with large incisors and canines , carnassials and molars only moderately developed in proportion to the size of the skull ; skull fully 3 times the bulk ... The diet of Aonyx capensis primarily includes water-dwelling animals, such as crabs, fish, frogs and worms. As you might expect, the African clawless otter lives in Africa. In fact, it can be found in nearly every country across the African continent, including Southern, Eastern, and Western countries. The only area where it is not found is in the Congo basin, which is in Central Africa. An African clawless otter does most of its hunting in water. This section does not cite any sources. The African Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) has the widest distribution of all the African otters although it is mostly absent in the Congo basin. These areas are home to the prey favoured by the otter; namely crustaceans and fish. [2] It is characterized by partly webbed and clawless feet, from which their name is derived. The diet in marine habitats is mainly fish, but also crab, abalone and Cape rock lobsters. African Clawless Otter Wikipedia article -, 2. Inside its short, broad muzzle are relatively small teeth, which are adapted for catching fish instead of the crustaceans that the clawless otters eat. Sometimes the otter builds these by digging up to nine feet underground, below the water level. Found inside – Page 822 While the largest African clawless otter is reported at 34kg, individuals of this size are not common (Estes, 1991; Kingdon, 1997). 2003). Faunivorous members of this group capture prey that is too small to be a potential source for ... And, just like their name suggests, they do not have claws. Found inside – Page 201Figure 15.8 An African clawless otter. ©Michio Nakamura. of these genera to the species level. Thus, it may be safer to say that Mus sp. and Praomys sp. exist at Mahale, but species level identifications should be done in the future. African Clawless Otter HD Wallpapers bikeldarnase Eylül 01, 2021. Found insideIn sub-Saharan Africa, the range of the spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis) overlaps with the Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) in the Congo River basin and the African clawless otter (A. capensis) elsewhere. African clawless otter From Wikipedia. Found inside – Page 76Otters: African Clawless + Spotted-necked Otters Otters dispatch smaller prey underwater, whereas larger items are dismembered and eaten at the surface. They excavate their own resting places, called holts, under rocks, among roots, ... However, that does not mean it is common in any part of its range and the breeding biology and wild behaviour is not well understood. In freshwater habitats, they eat primarily crabs, and they also eat insects, frogs, and various species of fish. This species is named for its webless front feet. This species is most active at dawn and dusk (known as crepuscular). The African clawless otter, scientific name Aonyx capensis, also referred to as the Cape clawless otter or Groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. Found inside(73–88cm) Tail 181⁄4–201⁄4 in (46.5–51.5cm) Weight 22–46lb (10–21 kg) Social unit Pair/Group Status Near threatened Location W., E., C., and southern Africa Length 29–35in As with other otters, the African clawless otter's long, ... They weigh between 10 and 22 kg. In some areas within its large range, these otters are killed for their sleek fur, or for the use of other body parts in traditional medicines. Tags: African Clawless Otter HD Wallpapers. Throughout most of Sub-Saharan Africa, it lives in permanent water bodies, occupying savannah and lowland forest areas. Sometimes otters drown when they become tangled in fishing nets. The African clawless otter is Africaâs most widely distributed otter, from Senegal, through most parts of West Africa as far as Ethiopia, and in the south to South Africa. Their large skulls are broad and flat, with relatively small orbits and short rostra. @Tekweni More aquatic than other otters from Africa, its fully webbed paws have sharp, well-developed claws. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub-Saharan Africa. Gestation lasts around two months (63 days). Weaning takes place between 45 and 60 days, with the young reaching full maturity around one year of age. In the False Bay area of the Cape Peninsula, they have been observed scavenging along beaches and rocks and hunting in shallow surf for mullet. Their head and body length ranges from 762 mm to 880 mm. Other members of this family include weasels, skunks, and ferrets. South Africa, which has an abundant crab population, is home to an estimated 21,500 African clawless otters. African clawless otters are mainly carnivores. It is very silky in appearance as well as to the touch. 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