African clawless otter Facts
African clawless otter Facts
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| Interesting African clawless otter Facts: |
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| African clawless otter can reach 29 to 37 inches in length and 22 to 80 pounds of weight. Tail is usually 16 to 26 inches long. Males are larger than females. |
| African clawless otter is covered with thick, soft, silky coat that is chocolate-brown on dorsal side and light-colored on the belly. Face and throat are covered with white or creamy markings. |
| African clawless otter has large, broad head with strong jaws. It has large, flat molars adapted for crushing of food. |
| African clawless otter has long fingers without claws on the front feet and webbed hind feet. It has long tail that is used for balancing on the ground and for propelling in the water. |
| African clawless otter is nocturnal animal. It spends most of the time in water, where it searches for food and plays with objects such as twigs and logs. |
| African clawless otter is a carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet is based on frogs, fish, worms and crabs. |
| African clawless otter uses front feet to find food hidden under the rocks, logs or in the mud. Sensitive whiskers facilitate finding of food in water by detecting movement of aquatic animals. |
| African clawless otter digs burrows on the river banks where it hides from the predators and high temperatures during the day. |
| Main predators of African clawless otter are crocodiles, pythons and eagles. |
| African clawless otter is solitary creature that occasionally lives in group composed of 5 to 6 animals. Even when they live in group, each African clawless otter marks piece of its own territory with substance produced in the anal gland. |
| African clawless otters communicate via whistles, huffs and growls. They use high-pitched screams to alert other members of the group about potential danger. |
| African clawless otters can reproduce all year round, but they prefer rainy period of the year (December). |
| Pregnancy in females lasts around 63 days and ends with 1 to 5 pups. Mother takes care of the babies on her own. Nursing period lasts 45 to 60 days. |
| Young African clawless otters begin independent life at the age of one year. They reach sexual maturity at the same time. |
| African clawless otter can survive 10 to 12 years in the wild and 15 years the captivity. |
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