Congo clawless otter

The Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus), also known as the Cameroon clawless otter, is a special kind of animal in the family Mustelidae. It used to be considered a type of the African clawless otter, but now scientists recognize it as its own unique species.

This large otter lives in many parts of middle Africa, including Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and Uganda. It might also be found in Burundi and Nigeria. These otters enjoy many different watery places to live, such as forests near water, swamps, rivers, lakes, and even places where fresh and salty water meet.

Not much is known about these otters, but they seem to spend more time on land than other otters do. Like other members of the Mustelidae family — which includes animals like weasels, wolverines, and ferrets — Congo clawless otters keep areas called territories. They use special scents to mark their territories and work hard to protect them.

Description

Congo clawless otters are special because their back feet have only a little webbing between the toes, and their front feet have no webbing at all. They have small, blunt claws that look like pegs. Unlike other otters, they use their very sensitive front paws to find food. These otters have slender bodies, thick, soft fur, and long tails. They can be between 600 and 1,000 mm (24 to 39 inches) long from head to body, with tails that are 400 to 710 mm (16 to 28 inches) long. They weigh between 14 and 34 kg (31 to 75 pounds). Their fur is very thick and soft, and people have often used it.

Diet

Congo clawless otters eat soft foods like small land animals, frogs, and eggs.

Reproduction and life span

The Congo clawless otter can have babies any time of the year. When they are born, the baby otters are white. They change to their adult brownish-white color when they are about 2 months old. These otters might live for about 10 to 15 years.

Threats and conservation

The Congo clawless otter faces dangers because people change or damage the areas near rivers and freshwater where they live.

Sometimes, these otters are caught for food, especially in Congo and Cameroon. The fur of these otters is also used to make drums in some places.