Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Silvia Centrón, Tietske Nieuborg, Paul Smith and Arne Lesterhuis and are used with their permission.
GIANT OTTER Pteronura brasiliensis
If you thought otters were cute, cuddly little aquatic mammals, then think again! This guy is the world´s largest growing up to 2m in length and there is nothing cuddly about him. They are sociable animals, keeping contact with continous squeaky yelps that help to locate them. As an adaptation for swimming they have a strange, flattened tail, almost like that of a beaver, and also possess a quite repulsive fishy odour if you get too close!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPMAM460PH) Adult swimming, Bahía Negra, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 2 - (FPMAM461PH) Same individual (Arne Lesterhuis undated).
FIGURE 3 - (FPMAM462PH) Adult swimming, Bahía Negra, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Tietske Nieuborg 2007).
FIGURE 4 - (FPMAM463PH) Adult swimming, Tres Gigantes, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Silvia Centrón September 2009).
VIDEO - (FPMAM990VI) Family, Tres Gigantes, Departamento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith July 2011).
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