Plate 033 · with a fish on a mountain river IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Broad, flat head with small ears.
- 2Long whiskers to feel prey in murky water.
- 3Pale throat cream or silvery.
- 4Dark brown coat short, dense and glossy.
- 5Long, thick tail wide at the base and tapering.
Easily confused with CoypuMyocastor coypusA rodent with a thin round tail and orange front teeth. Swims with its head held high. TayraEira barbaraLives on land and in trees, pale head and bushy tail. No webbed feet. 033 / 100 · MAMMALS · MUSTELIDAENEAR THREATENED Neotropical Otter
Lontra longicaudis
Lobito de río · Long-tailed Otter
The only otter in the Yungas. It lives on clean rivers and streams from the foothills up to about 2,000 m. It is shy and seldom seen, but it leaves webbed tracks and piles of scaly droppings on big boulders along the bank.
- Total length
- c. 90 – 135 cm
- Weight
- 5 – 15 kg
- Altitude
- up to c. 2,000 m
- Young
- 2 – 3 per litter
- Semi-aquatic
- Clean-river indicator
- Solitary
- CITES Appendix I
Altitude rangeFollowing rivers uphill
Rivers and streams It moves along rivers with good bankside vegetation. Above about 2,000 m streams are too small and cold to support it.
FoodA fisher first
- Fishtetras, catfish · staple
- Crabsfreshwater crabs
- Frogsand tadpoles
- Snailsoccasional
It searches under stones and submerged roots. It needs clear water with fish all year round.
BehaviourDiscreet and tied to water
- Strong swimmer. Webbed feet and a thick tail used as a rudder.
- Marks with droppings. Leaves droppings on prominent rocks and logs to tell others the stretch is taken.
- Bank den. Uses holes among roots and rocks near the water to rest and raise young.
Where to look in Tucumán- Río Los Sosa
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- PN Aconquija
- Quebrada de Lules
- Cuesta del Clavillo