Abstract

RANGEL-AGUILAR, Oscar  and  GALLO-REYNOSO, Juan Pablo. Feeding habits of the Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis annectens) in the Bavispe-Yaqui river, Sonora, Mexico. Therya [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.2, pp.297-309. ISSN 2007-3364.  https://doi.org/10.12933/therya-13-135.

Investigations into the feeding habits of the Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis annectens in the Bavispe-Yaqui river basin were conducted based on 73 scats collected from 1995, 1999, 2001 and 2002. Neotropical otters feed mainly on various species of fishes (58%), insects (30%), mammals (3.7%), amphibians (0.7%), reptiles (0.7%), birds (5.8%) and mollusks (1.5%). Fish prey was mainly composed by Oreochromis sp. and unidentified insects from Order Choleoptera, follow by crickets Melanoplus differentialis which were the most consumed insects. This paper shows differences in feeding habits compared to other feeding preferences of the species in different areas of the country. To date, this is one of a few studies to report a large percentage of insect consumption by otters and the first study to report the presence of carrion from this same species in their diets.

Keywords : feeding habits; Lontra longicaudis annectens; Río Bavispe-Yaqui; Sonora.

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