Giant Otter
Giant Otter
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||
| オオカワウソ | |||
| Character Data | |||
| AKA | Giant River Otter
| ||
| Romaji | ookawauso
| ||
| Debut | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ||
| Animal Data | |||
| Scientific Name | Pteronura brasiliensis
| ||
| Distribution | South America
| ||
| Diet | Omnivore
| ||
| Avg. Lifespan | 8-17 Years
| ||
| Read More | Giant Otter
| ||
| Conservation | 
| ||
| Giant Otter | Pavilion | KF3 | Gallery |
|
An image on this article could be improved. You can help Japari Library by uploading the file, or by discussing the issue. |
The Giant Otter is a type of mustelid Friend that first appeared in Kemono Friends Pavilion.
Appearance
Giant Otter has a very rough and tumble appearance. She has slightly tanned skin and light brown eyes. Her hair is on the shorter side, only reaching her shoulders. The hair has varying shades of brown and white, with the white being closer to her face. Her bangs are largely a creamy white with the ones framing her face having an extra cream stripe closer to the top of her head. On the tops and sides of her head are several whisker-like appendages.
Like the other otter Friends, Giant Otter wears a one-piece swimsuit with markings similar to her real life counterpart, including a unique white throat marking. The white mark resembles a double lightning bolt with a "coffin" shape in the middle of her chest.
The swimsuit ends at her thighs, resembling shorts. She also has fingerless opera-length gloves and thigh-high open toed leggings. Both are the same brown color as her bodysuit. Lastly, her tail is nearly as long as her body and is also the same shade of her bodysuit.
Series Appearances
| Media | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Kemono Friends Pavilion | ↪ Minor character, observable |
| 2019 | Kemono Friends 3 | ↪ Minor character, obtainable |
In Real Life
.jpg)
The giant otter is a large mustelid primarily native to north-central South America, being mostly found in and along the Amazon River, the Pantanal wetlands, and their associated freshwater streams, springs, lakes, rivers, and tributaries. As their name suggests, the giant otter is the largest of the otters, and sports the longest body length of the entire Mustelidae family. Males are typically between 1.5—1.7 m (4 ft 11 in—5 ft 7 in) long from head to tail; females average 1—1.5 m (3 ft 3 1⁄2 in—4 ft 11 in). The tail alone can account for 70 cm (28 in) of the total body length. The body weight of males trends between 26—32 kg (57—71 lb) and that of females averages 22—26 kg (49—57 lb). Part of this weight can be attributed to their dense, waterproof coats, which keep water off of their skin and allow the otters to preserve their body heat. The fur is a rich chocolate brown color which can appear black when wet. The otters also sport striking white or cream-colored markings on their throats and chins; these markings are unique to each individual otter, and can be used by researchers to help distinguish individuals in the wild.
The observed behavior of the giant otter is fairly unique among mustelids in several respects. While otters are already known to be more social than their typically-solitary mustelid cousins, the giant otter is the most social of all, with tight-knit family groups typically consisting of a dominant breeding pair and six to eight other individuals. Family dens are sizable and extensive, featuring several entrances, exits, and inner chambers. Whelping season falls between August and September, and a standard litter has on average two cubs; as few as one and as many as five have been observed. Mother otters tend to need six to seven months between litters, with a gestation period of 65—70 days. Males and older siblings from previous litters will help with the rearing of the new cubs, increasing their odds of survival. Young otters reach sexual maturity at around two years of age, and tend to leave the group after two to three years in search of new territory to begin a family of their own.
This otter is also highly vocal compared to both their fellow otters and to the mustelids as a whole, with distinct vocalizations being documented to indicate alarm, aggression, and reassurance. An analysis published in 2014 cataloged 22 distinct types of vocalization in adults and 11 in cubs. These vocalizations include barks, coos, growls, hums, snorts, squeaks, wails, whines, and whistles.
Being large and territorial social carnivores, giant otters are formidable and thus have very few natural predators of their own. When working in a group, giant otters have been observed frightening off much larger animals, such as caimans and jaguars. Despite this, there have been reports of black and yacare caimans preying on them. Young cubs are much more vulnerable to attacks than adults, which even on their own can be trouble for predators thanks to their size, aggression, and sharp teeth; cubs do not have the same capability to defend themselves. Consequently, adults are constantly mindful of stray young, and parents will ferociously harass and fight off possible predators if they are detected nearby.
.jpg){kind=link}
The longest documented lifespan of a wild giant otter is eight years. In captivity, this age is a much larger 17, with an unconfirmed record of an individual reaching 19 years. Giant otters are susceptible to a variety of medical conditions, with viruses such as canine parvovirus and parasites such as fly larvae and several types of intestinal worms decreasing the lifespan of wild specimens. Other causes of death include accidents, gastroenteritis, infanticide, and epileptic seizures, and encounters with dangerous organisms such as electric eels and stingrays. Humans are also a major threat to giant otters; extensive poaching for its soft, velvety fur has greatly reduced giant otter populations in the wild. It was officially declared endangered in 1999, and the population of wild giant otters is typically estimated to be under 5,000 individuals, making it one of the most endangered mammal species in the Neotropics.
Trivia
- The giant otter has a handful of recognized names, including ariranha (Brazil, from the Tupí word ari'raña, meaning "water jaguar"), onça-d'água (Portuguese, also "water jaguar"), lobo di rio (Spanish, lit. "river wolf"), and perro de agua (Spanish, lit. "water dog").
- The giant otter has the shortest fur of all otter species.
- Giant otters possesses 2n = 38 chromosomes.
- In late 2017, a popular orifure (a portmanteau of "original Friend"; a term referring to unofficial Friend designs created by fans) of a giant otter arose prior to Giant Otter's introduction in Pavilion. Despite the appearance of an official Giant Otter Friend, the fan-made Giant Otter continues to be popular within the Kemono Friends fan community.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_otter
- Carter & Rosas 1998, p. 2
- Franco-de-Sá, J. F. O.; Rosas, F. C. W.; Feldberg, E. (2007). "Cytogenetic study of the giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis Zimmermann 1780 (Carnivora, Mustelidae, Lutrinae)". Genetics and Molecular Biology. 30 (4): 1093–1096.
- [Mumm, C. A. S.; Knörnschild, M. (12 November 2014). "The Vocal Repertoire of Adult and Neonate Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis)". PLOS ONE. 9 (11): e112562. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k2562M.
- Sykes-Gatz, S. (2005). International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management Information and Guidelines (Second ed.). Germany: Zoologischer Garten Dortmund. p. 13.
- Duplaix 1980, pp. 529–530