Neotropical River Otter

Notes:

A species that was classified as vulnerable in the 1990's, and while the IUCN believe it to be declining, and a threatened species, there's insufficient data on population size and health, and the effects of numerous and diverse anthropogenic threats across its range on rates of population decline. A top predator and key indicator of eco-system health, it also plays an important role in the nutrient cycle. As it catches its prey in aquatic systems and deposits it's waste on land, it transfers nutrients from one ecosystem to another. It feeds mainly on fish, with crustaceans and molluscs contributing to large portions of diet in some areas. Contamination of aquatic systems is obviously a significant threat, with other threats to the population including agriculture, hunting, mining, damming and deforestation. We often see these crepuscular creatures along Caño Palma, usually a tell tale trail of bubbles, before it briefly emerges, and occasionally sunning on an exposed log