They live mainly on land that is very close to bodies of water. The brute force of an elephant is unrivalled by any land mammal. The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. This male giant otter confronted two jaguars with head movements, calls, and occasional jumps. Chris and Jacob's injuries were less severe. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? It is the only species in the genus Potamogale. On the one hand, adult males are between 5 and 6 feet long and weigh between 70 and 99 pounds and on the other, females measure between 5 and 5 1/2 feet in length and weigh between 48 and 58 pounds. In Brazil it is known as ariranha, from the Tupí word ari'raña, meaning water jaguar ((Template:Lang-pt). It might not be the most poisonous snake, but thanks to its unique spit and strike attack technique, the Asian Cobra is responsible for more human deaths than any other snake on the planet. Aside from human beings, of course. Even those traditionally seen as completely adorable. The two predators are such worthy foes, there's only one recorded case of a jaguar killing a giant otter. “Every time it would go under I knew it was about to attack and it was just so terrible, it's just the scariest thing in my life I've ever been through," he continued. Each tentacle has 5,000 stinging cells and enough toxin to kill 60 humans. Their long tail may add as much as 70cm (28in) to this body length. Adult giant otters living in family groups have no known serious natural predators, however there are some accounts of black caimans in Peru and yacare caimans in the Pantanal preying on giant otters. “Just the whole body was wrapped around him.”. “We have no idea how the giant otter escaped,” zoo spokeswoman Eveline Dustersiek told Germany’s The Local. A giant otter is a very social animal that lives in large family groups. The giant otter or giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. They're very interesting to watch,” Battle said. They had to be taken to hospital for rabies shots. A giant otter, though can reach 1.7 meters in length and weigh about thirty kilograms at a muscular tail strength, endurance acute hearing and sharp eyes along with the great. A family of otters attacked two teenage boys who were swimming in Shasta Lake, California, on Sunday morning. Based on this study, cougars have a canine BFQ of 118.8 and, for giant otters, it is 115.4, which is very similar. Today, we usually know this information in terms of Mokele-mbembe. This animal catches its own food and consumes it immediately. The giant otter has a handful of other names. It is the longest member of the Mustelidae, or weasel family, with males being 4.9 and 5.6 ft long, and females, 3.3 and 4.9 ft, from head to base of tail. When the zoo cleaner saw the animal, she screamed and the six-foot-long giant otter pounced on her. Giant otters attack either above or below the water holding the prey with their teeth strongly. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Early travelers' reports describe noisy groups surrounding explorers' boats, but little scientific information was available on the species until Duplaix's groundbreaking work in the late 1970s. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Giant otters were a monstrous variety of the mundane aquatic mammal of the same name.2 1 Description 2 Behavior 3 Ecology 3.1 Diet 3.2 Habitats 3.3 Relationships 4 Trivia 5 Appendix 5.1 Appearances 5.2 References Giant otters were both fast runners and fast swimmers. I just remember looking back at it and seeing it's teeth, {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}}, Family of otters attack two teenage boys swimming in California lake, Rare video shows wild sea otter giving birth, US aquarium trains otter to use inhaler after smoke from Seattle wildfires gives it asthma, Otter launches 'bloody' attack on restaurant, leaves owner 'terrified', eight year old boy and his grandmother were also attacked, You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully, Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable, Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties, We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification. In terms of otters, the giant one has the shortest coat and its … Cape Buffalos charge head-on with their razor-sharp horns when confronted with a predator - all 1,500lb of them. Photo by: Frank Hajek. They hunt for food both in the water such as fish and then also land creatures including small reptiles. Females are smaller at 1-1.5m (3.3-4.9ft). Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. They were treated by staff at Shasta Regional Medical Center, who Mr Whitney said printed out an 'otter lineup' and asked the boys which one was the culprit. Excerpts from her personal experiences and field notes strengthen the narrative even more. They sat down and they were crying in pain,” Mr Whitney said. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. And here's just some of the messed up things that the jerkiest of them have been known to do. It floats on its back, looking at the banks of the river for predators, when it suddenly seems to notice you. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Weighing in around 16,000lb on average, they are responsible for around 500 human deaths each year. Giant otter: Physical characteristics. I just remember looking back at it and seeing it's teeth,” he said. They might look cute, but the backs of the Amazonian poison dart frog ooze a slimy neurotoxin to keep predators away. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. Otters rarely attack humans, but can sometimes be territorial, especially when they are protecting their babies. The Hagenbeck Zoo (Tierpark Hagenbeck) is named after Carl Hagenbeck, whose life and that of his son have been intertwined with the early history of modern cryptozoology. The jaguar decided to plunge and managed to grab the baby with a swift bite. As a result, they cause on average 2million human deaths a year, making the insect one of the world's deadliest creatures. The Andean Wolf was first discovered with only a skin bought by German animal-dealer Lorenz Hagenbeck in Buenos Aires in 1926. Concern over this endangered species has since generated a body of research. It was big, shiny and black, but the animal was clearly related to the hippopotamus, not the pig. These big cats are ruthlessly agile, armed with razor-sharp teeth and talons and near-perfect hunters. The Andean Wolf, or Hagenbeck’s Wolf is an unsubstantited wolf-like canid, reportedly from the Andes. “[The otter] had him by the back of his head and it was holding him down,” Dean Springer, the boy’s great-uncle, told local media. It stops, and quickly swims to the shore near you. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. The first occurred in Brasilia zoo in 1977 when a 13 year old boy fell into the otter enclosure. The stealth and combined strength of a crocodile allows it to lie in the water undetected, before it strikes, drags its pray underwater, barrel rolls and dismembers it. It lives only in the rivers and creeks of the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata river systems. An eight year old boy and his grandmother were also attacked by a four-feet long male otter while swimming in a river in Washington State in 2014. The two boys had to be taken to hospital for rabies shots, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Jessica Groenendijk’s love for giant otters and their Amazon waterways makes her book, The Giant Otter, one of the finest on an animal species I have discovered. Otters. Hans Schomburgk also recounted to Hagenbeck that hippopotamus were absent from Lake Bangweulu; the natives said this was because of the depredations of a monster which inhabited the lake. Settlers, travellers and explorers wrongly believe they are under attack and shoot to defend themselves (as they believe). Hagenbeck sent an expedition in 1909 to the Congo to search for the monster, but the effort was quickly aborted due to disease and hostile natives. Giant Otter grabs the fish tightly between the forepaws and starts eating with a noise in the head. Otters rarely attack humans, but can be territorial. Animals can be GIANT JERKS. Giant otters are very big, very noisy and move in large groups. The otter attacked the relatively young gator by biting it over the neck, ensuring it could not turn around and bite back. Giant Otter This South American otter is the world's largest, at some 6 feet long. A passing army sergeant, Silvio Hollembach jumped in to rescue the child but was set upon himself. "There was one that kept attacking us no matter what we did. The giant river otter. A 2011 Oceanographic Environmental Research Society study of otter attacks found only 39 documented violent confrontations dating back to 1875. The giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) is a semiaquatic, carnivorous afrotherian mammal. Hagenbeck established his zoological garden near Hamburg as the prototype of the modern open-air zoo in 1907. Male giant otters can attain a length of 1.5-1.7m (4.9-5.6ft). It was named after Lorenz Hagenbeck (1882-1956), the son of Carl Hagenbeck. Each jellyfish has 60 tentacles each at 15 ft long. Their bodies measured 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.6 meters) in length.1 Much like the mundane otter,3 these creatures … The giant otter is the longest species among mustelids although not the heaviest. There remains no good explanation for the escape and sudden appearance of the otter. Facts about Sea Otter, Giant Otter, European Otter, African Otter and River Otter. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? In their natural habitat, giant otters are apex predators, and while they primarily eat fish, they can and do take down caimans and anacondas. “Somehow it must have pushed a hole through the fence, which is strange because the fence is metal.”. It lives in streams, wetlands and slow flowing larger rivers. It ... Duplaix speculated that piranhas may attack giant otters. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. And the problem is, they tend to do so as a herd. The attack happened June 2, 2012, as the zoo cleaner, whose name was not reported, scrubbed benches, Germany media reported Friday, June 8, 2012. Unable to catch it, he went home to Hamburg empty-handed. The giant otter hunts in packs of four to ten adults and has a remarkable predatory instinct and unusual feeding habits. The author’s expertise in field observation and research are clear in the writing that is at once informative and accessible. These kings of the sea have 3,000 teeth with which to tear their pray to shreds. The otter nearly killed the child and seriously injured the old woman when she tried to prise it off him. As you watch the rippling, you see a furry mass slowly surface. Otters can certainly harass Caiman though and have done so multiple times. Chris told a local news channel the otters "just kept getting at our legs and our feet. Several videos of monkeys harassing sea otters in a zoo, culminating with a mass of otters drowning a monkey to the tune of O Fortuna. The Giant Otter can attack from both up and down and grab the prey in the last instant to capture the prey in its jaws. A weasel / ˈ w iː z əl / is a mammal of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae.The genus Mustela includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and mink.Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal. The tail adds another 28 inches to the total body length. Immediately after hunted they consume their prey, devouring it by the head and holding it … In 2013 a woman from Montana claimed she needed eight stitches to her head after being attacked by an otter while tubing on the Madison river. Read our full mailing list consent terms here. In the confrontation, the otters are seen periscoping in and out of the water, hesitating to cross the wetlands. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids, (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines) is often referred to as the "weasel family". A full-grown pygmy hippopotamus weighs only about 400 lb, a tenth of the weight of the average adult hippopotamus. A family of otters attacked two teenage boys who were swimming in Shasta Lake, California, on Sunday morning. Joseph Menges, another naturalist, told Hagenbeck that “some kind of dinosaur, seemingly akin to the brontosaurs,” lived in the swamps. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Chris Whitney, 13, and Jacob Savage, 14, had been jumping off rocks into the reservoir when between three and five animals attacked them, chasing them down a narrow arm of the lake as they swam for the shore. The otters probably perceived the dog as a threat, biologist Dave Battle said. In 1912, Hans Schomburgk returned to Liberia, and to the dismay of his critics, came back with five live pygmy hippos. However, to … Whilst the boy escaped Sgt Hollembach was attacked by the 6 otters resulting in more than a hundred bites. They are very inquisitive, and many of their calls are quite explosive in sound, so they appear angry when they are merely curious. The friends had injuries on their necks, legs, and feet, Chris' father Ryan Whitney told local media. Since appearing on local TV, the boys have been offering to sign ”ottergraphs“ for their friends. In 1909, zoo animal collector and naturalist Carl Hagenbeck (June 10, 1844 – April 14, 1913) recounted in his autobiography, Beasts and Men, how two separate individuals – a German named Hans Schomburgk and an English hunter – told him about a “huge monster, half elephant, half dragon,” which lived in the Congo swamps. Beavers have attacked dogs at Anchorage's University Lake, but wildlife biologists said they were not aware of attacks by river otters. Giant otter attack! This animal is amphibian and mainly terrestrial. As water drips from it, you realize it's an otter with brown fur and long whiskers. 04 ... Once the jaguar had noticed the giant otters from the river bank, it slowly approached them - its eyes fixated on one of the youngest members of the family. Both the child and his grandmother were hospitalised and needed extensive medical treatment. It is found in the main rainforest block of central Africa from Nigeria to Zambia, with a few isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. Most occurred in … In the Dilolo swamps, he heard tales of a similar creature which the natives called chimpekwe. Each frog produces enough of the toxin to kill 10 humans. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. Introduction to Otters. In Spanish, river wolf (Spanish: [lobo de río] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) and water dog (Spanish: [perro de agua] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) are used occasionally, though the latter has many other meanings) and may have been more common in the reports of explorers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Habitat and Range . The giant otter is the longest of the otter species but shares a similar weight with the sea otter. Attack of the Giant Otter An exhibition cleaner at Hamburg, Germany’s Hagenbeck Zoo has been hospitalized after being attacked by an escaped giant otter. Sydney Sainsbury of West Yellowstone was 'viciously' attacked by an otter on July 9, leaving her needing serious medical attention, including an arm brace and eight stitches to … In 1909, Hagenbeck sent German explorer Hans Schomburgk to Liberia to check on rumors about a “giant black pig.” After two years of jungle pursuit, Schomburgk finally spotted the animal 30 ft in front of him. They are often mistaken for beavers though. That's a lot of killing power for an animal the size of a salad bowl. RIP Ace: Super Pitbull Killed In Horror Attack. The strength of a polar bear is enough to decapitate a human being with a single swipe of the paw. Behavior and conservation of the Amazon’s giant river otter. An average giant otter will weigh between 22 and 32kg (49-71lbs). But, within the giant otter’s range (which is, unfortunately, rapidly shrinking), this is not the case. “They're cute, and they're doing all their activities. The giant otter is large, gregarious, and diurnal. 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Members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium elephant is unrivalled by any land mammal their activities to Liberia and... An average giant otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis ) is a South American otter is large,,! They had to be emailed when someone replies to your comment all over their legs and our giant otter attack... Land that is at once informative and accessible idea how the giant otter is large, gregarious, more! From it, you see a furry mass slowly surface explanation for the escape and sudden appearance of the poison... Relatively young gator by biting it over the neck, ensuring it could not around... Comment as inappropriate rip Ace: Super Pitbull Killed in Horror attack pounced her... Buffalos charge head-on with their razor-sharp horns when confronted with a predator all... Respect all commenters and create constructive debates 're doing all their activities this animal catches its own food and it...
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