Giant Otter
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| Giant Otter | Pavilion | KF3 |
Giant Otter is a type of otter Friend 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.
In Real Life
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The Giant Otter is a South American mammal and is the longest member of the Mustelidae family. They are a relatively social species, which is unusual for mustelids. Their family groups include a dominant breeding pair and six to eight others, and the groups are very cohesive and close-knit.
The primary habitat ranges across north-central South America, mostly in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal wetlands. The species is technically amphibious, though they prefer being on land. They prefer freshwater rivers and streams, freshwater springs, and freshwater lakes. Due to extensive poaching for its soft, velvety fur, the population has been greatly reduced. It was officially declared endangered in 1999. Populations in the wild estimate typically under 5,000.
Giant Otters, as their name suggests, are the largest otters in the mustelid family. Males are typically between 1.5 and 1.7 m (4 ft 11 in and 5 ft 7 in) in length from head to tail. Females are typically between 1 and 1.5 m (3 ft 3+1⁄2 in and 4 ft 11 in). The tail can add a further 70 cm (28 in) to the total body length. They are rather heavy animals, being between 26 and 32 kg (57 and 71 lb) for males and 22 and 26 kg (49 and 57 lb) for females. Their dense coat is a rich chocolate brown that can appear black when wet. In fact the fur is so dense, water cannot penetrate through to the skin.
This otter is noisiest and most vocal otter species, 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. Some vocalizations include "hah"-like barks, snorts, hums, coos, whistles, squeaks, wails, and whines.
Being predators, they have very few natural predators of their own. However there have been reports of black and yacare caimans preying on them. When swimming this changes slightly, though not specifically for prey- electric eels and stingrays can be deadly if stumbled upon. Additionally, piranhas may be capable of at least taking bites out of a giant otter, as evidenced by scarring on individuals. Young cubs are more vulnerable to attacks, even though adults are constantly mindful of stray young. If they sense danger the parents will harass and fight off possible predators.
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Family dens are large and extensive, with several entrances, exits, and inner chambers. Whelping season is between August and September, and each litter has between one and five cubs, averaging two. The average interval between litters is six to seven months, with the gestation period being 65 - 70 days. Males and older siblings from previous litters will help with the rearing of the new cubs. The cubs reach sexual maturity around two years old and will leave the group after two to three years. Once they leave they'll search for new territory to begin a family of their own.
The longest documented lifespan in the wild is eight years. In captivity, this can increase to 17. There is an unconfirmed record of 19. Giant Otters are susceptible to a variety of diseases, including canine parvovirus. Parasites, such as the larvae of flies and a variety of intestinal worms, also afflict the giant otter. Other causes of death include accidents, gastroenteritis, infanticide, and epileptic seizures.
Trivia
- In late 2017, a popular orifure (a term referring to unofficial designs created by fans) arose prior to the official design appearing in Pavilion, and has since appeared in other artists' works more recently.
- The Giant Otter has a handful of other 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").
- They are diurnal (active exclusively during daylight hours)
- The giant otter has the shortest fur of all otter species.
- The white/cream markings on the throat and chin are unique to each individual otter, and can be used to help identify specific ones in the wild
- Giant Otters possesses 2n = 38 chromosomes.
- It is one of the most endangered mammal species in the Neotropics
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