Population assessment and habitat use by marine otter Lontra felina in southern Chile

Medina-Vogel, Gonzalo; Bartheld, José Luis; Pacheco, Ricardo Alvarez; Rodríguez, Claudio Delgado

doi:10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[191:paahub]2.0.co;2

Cited by 21 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 23 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…The densities calculated in these and several other studies vary from 0.04 to 10.0 ind/km (12 studies, mean density = 3.3 ind/km), although densities between 1.0 and 2.7 ind/km are more consistently recorded (Castilla and Bahamondes 1979;Castilla 1982;Cabello 1983;Rozzi and Torres-Mura 1990;Ebensperger and Castilla 1991;Sánchez 1992;Sielfeld 1992;Medina 1995;Apaza et al 2004;Mangel and Alfaro-Shigueto 2004;Medina-Vogel et al 2006, 2007. Based on the authors' research done between 2008 and 2011 in Peru, further areas with occurrence of otters were determined (via direct sightings, scat occurrence or references by other studies or by local fishermen), resulting in new calculations: 789 km (c.a.…”

Section: Distribution and Abundancementioning

confidence: 93%

“…3) are preferred as they provide protected dens within caves with reproduction and resting places. Caves are above water at high tide and may be exposed to heavy seas (Cabello 1983;Ostfeld et al 1989;Villegas et al 2006) and present a variety of architecture (Medina-Vogel et al 2006). Entrances, which may be several, are often well defined and do not have a submarine access, as they do have in other otter species (Sielfeld and Castilla 1999).…”

Section: Habitatmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…It is furthermore impossible to recognize individuals (Medina-Vogel et al 2006 and references therein) as neither characteristic individual pigmentation nor sexual dimorphism exist. Several studies describe behavioral aspects, but there are a lot of contradictions concerning reproduction, social behavior, migration and territoriality.…”

Section: Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Molecular analysis revealing high levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability (Valqui et al 2010;Vianna et al 2010) and further data on occurrence might support this data, indicating that the population numbers reported in the last years were underestimated. Medina-Vogel et al (2006) discuss the uncertainty of the methodology in most surveys done in the last decades, while they propose minimum abundance indices rather than total survey numbers. Rarefaction analysis based on fecal genotyping (Kohn et al 1999) could allow more accurate population size estimates.…”

Section: Distribution and Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

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The marine otter Lontra felina ( ): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation

Valqui

2012

Mammalian Biology

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a b s t r a c tThe marine otter Lontra felina is an endangered and little known species living in a fragmented habitat: the coast of Peru and Chile. The smallest marine mammal's presence is unclear in Argentina and southern Tierra del Fuego and the current limits of the distribution are still under discussion. Recent population genetic studies suggest certain levels of gene flow despite a disjunct population. In the 20th century intensive hunting was the major threat to L. felina. This top predator still faces an uncertain future due to the impact of human activities (urbanization, pollution, and intensive fisheries). There is a need of further studies deepening the knowledge on population genetics, population numbers and migration behavior. Environmental education work, law enforcement and monitoring of protected areas are suggested to secure the survival of the species.

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Section: Distribution and Abundancementioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Habitatmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Behaviormentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Distribution and Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

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The marine otter Lontra felina ( ): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation

Valqui

2012

Mammalian Biology

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“…Se encuentra desde Perú (6°S) hasta el Cabo de Hornos (56°S) (Castilla & Bahamondes 1979, Ebensperger & Castilla 1992, Medina-Vogel et al 2004. El hábitat más utilizado por L. felina es el litoral rocoso escarpado y expuesto, con presencia de galerías naturales, y su actividad se desarrolla en un ámbito de hogar que abarca cerca de 4 km lineales de costa y 100 m mar adentro, hasta 30 m al interior de la franja costera continental (Castilla & Bahamondes 1979, Cabello 1983, Sielfeld 1990, Ebensperger & Castilla 1992, MedinaVogel et al 2004, 2006. Las causas principales de la disminución poblacional y distribución fragmentada del chungungo en Chile son la caza ilegal con fines peleteros (alrededor de 38.000 individuos entre , el conflicto con la pesquería, y la destrucción e invasión de su hábitat, por lo que estaría al borde de la extinción en diversas localidades (Castilla & Bahamondes 1979, Cabello 1983, Glade 1993, CONAMA 2007.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

Conducta diurna del chungungo Lontra felina (Molina, 1782) en dos localidades de la costa de Talcahuano, Chile: ¿efectos de la exposición al oleaje y de las actividades humanas?

Badilla¹,

George-Nascimento

2009

Rev. biol. mar. oceanogr.

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Abstract.-The biology of the South American sea otter (Lontra felina) is scarcely known along the Chilean coast. In this study, habitat use during day time, and the behavior of this species are described, and compared between two localities: a protected embayment inhabited by artisanal fishermen and, an area of difficult access, both on the central-southern coast of Chile. The study was carried out at the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006. Despite the vicinity of the two studied localities (separated by ca. 9 km), there were differences in the time of peak diurnal activities, in duration of diving, and in the proportion of time devoted to socialization. At the most isolated and exposed locality sea otters were seen more frequently transiting in the water, and making long dives, while at the protected site, in vicinity of the fishermen village, diving was more frequent and shorter. Habitat use was also different between localities according to the presence of human activities. Some of these results contrast with other reports from Chile and highlight the need to improve the knowledge of the factors affecting the behavior of Lontra felina.

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Otter occupancy in the Cape Peninsula: Estimating the probability of river habitat use by Cape clawless otters, Aonyx capensis, across a gradient of human influence

Okes

O’Riain

2017

Aquatic Conservation

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1. The distribution of Cape clawless otters, Aonyx capensis, in South Africa and their habitat requirements in freshwater and marine systems has been well established. There is, however, a lack of information on how otters are adapting to urban development and the transformation of critical freshwater habitat.2. Within the Western Cape, the Cape Peninsula exhibits substantial variation in levels of human impact over a small geographic range, offering an excellent opportunity to explore the hypothesis that otters are adversely affected by habitat transformation.3. A single season occupancy model was used based on otter sign to determine the probability of otter occupancy across a gradient of habitat transformation at both landscape and local scales.4. The probability of otters occupying river habitat in the Cape Peninsula was low (P = 0.29) but increased with proximity to marine protected areas (MPAs) that included estuaries and wetland habitat. Otter presence was not influenced by proximity to urban areas at the landscape scale, but declined in canalized sections of river that were heavily degraded by human activity. 5. Despite being heavily transformed, lowland aquatic ecosystems may still provide critical resources in the form of fresh water and breeding sites, and together with food within the marine habitat may be sustaining the peninsula's otter population.6. In order for otters to persist on the peninsula, conservation authorities must maintain wetland, estuarine and river habitat in close proximity to MPAs. Further research is needed to determine the long-term impacts on otters persisting in degraded ecosystems. 7. Annual single season occupancy surveys provide a rapid, cost-effective method for monitoring changes in otter occupancy which should be incorporated into current monitoring efforts to provide much needed long-term monitoring of a top predator in freshwater ecosystems.

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Population assessment and habitat use by marine otter Lontra felina in southern Chile

Cited by 21 publications

References 23 publications

The marine otter Lontra felina ( ): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation

The marine otter Lontra felina ( ): A review of its present status and implications for future conservation

Conducta diurna del chungungo Lontra felina (Molina, 1782) en dos localidades de la costa de Talcahuano, Chile: ¿efectos de la exposición al oleaje y de las actividades humanas?

Otter occupancy in the Cape Peninsula: Estimating the probability of river habitat use by Cape clawless otters, Aonyx capensis, across a gradient of human influence

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