The Amazon rainforest is full of amazing and unique animal and plant life. One species of animal which calls the Amazon rainforest home, is the giant otter!
Giant otters are rare animals today, this is due to their endangered species status. Let's take a look at these rare and wonderful animals.
Where Are They Found?
Giant otters are only found in one part of the world in the wild; these cute otters are only found in South America in the wild.
Giant otters are found living in the Amazon rainforest, and the Pantanal wetlands. They are found living in several countries in this area of South America, the countries that giant otters are found living in is - Brazil, Ecuador, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname, Venezuala, Guyana, and French Guiana.
What Is Their Conservation Status?
The giant otter is sadly an endangered species today.
What Is Their Population Trend?
The last time that the population of the giant otter was assessed by the IUCN Red List was in March 2020, therefore, fairly recently.
The IUCN Red List found that the giant otter population was decrasing.
What Habitats Are They Found In?
Giant otters are found living in forests and inland wetlands, in the wild.
What Is Their Diet?
Giant otters are carnivorous animals, which means that they only eat other animals. They eat a variety of different animals, which includes - other mammals, birds, vertebrates and fish.
Therefore, giant otters have a varied diet.
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When Is Their Breeding Season?
Giant otters create their dens during July, they create their dens on shores when the waters are lying low, they will then go on to give birth to their cubs in August and September. The cute giant otter cubs will then emerge from their dens within the next few weeks; giant otter cubs emerge from their dens during October and november.
What Threats Do Giant Otters Face?
Sadly, giant otters face several threats in the wild.
They are threatened by the fur trade because they are hunted for their fur, they are also at risk from deforestation and logging in the Amazon rainforest; giant otters were also likely at risk during the Pantanal wetland fires.
There are many other threats that giant otters face which could cause a further decline in their population, or possible extinction, these other threats include - development, dams, agriculture, mining, tourism and many more.
To save giant otters from extinction, we have to protect their ecosystems and protect them in the wild. Giant otters are unique, they are the biggest otter species in the world, these otters deserve protection and to live in the world in peace.
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