Food and feeding habits of smooth-coated otters (Lutra perspicillata) and their significance to the fish population of Kerala, India

Journal of Zoology

Volumn 266, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 15-23

  Anoop, K R ^a   Hussain, S A ^a  

^a WILDLIFE INSTITUTE OF INDIA   (India)

Author keywords

Cyprinus caprio communis; Feeding habits; Lutra perspicillata; Periyar Tiger Reserve; Smooth coated otter; Tilapia mossambica

Indexed keywords

DIET; FECAL PELLET; MUSTELID; PISCIVORY; PREY SELECTION;

ASIA; EASTERN HEMISPHERE; EURASIA; INDIA; KERALA; PERIYAR TIGER RESERVE; SOUTH ASIA; WORLD;

ANURA; AVES; CARNIVORA; CYPRINUS; CYPRINUS CARPIO; DECAPODA (CRUSTACEA); HEXAPODA; INSECTA; LUTRA; LUTRA PERSPICILLATA; LUTRINAE; LUTROGALE PERSPICILLATA; OREOCHROMIS MOSSAMBICUS; PANTHERA TIGRIS; TILAPIA;

EID: 20044383414     PISSN: 09528369     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0952836905006540     Document Type: Article

References (45)

1. Adrian, M. I. & Delibes, M. (1987). Food habits of the otter Lutra lutra in two habitats of the Doñana National Park, SW Spain. J. Zool. (Lond.) 212: 399-406.
2. Anoop, K. R. & Hussain, S. A. (2004). Factors affecting habitat selection by smooth-coated otters Lutra perspicillata in Kerala, India, J. Zool. (Lond.) 263: 417-423.
3. Arun, L. K. (1999). Fish community assemblages of Periyar Tiger Reserve. Report. Kerala, India: Kerala Forest Research Institute.
4. Carss, D. N., Kruuk, H. & Conroy, J. W. H. (1990). Predation on adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., by otters, Lutra lutra L., within the River Dee system, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. J. Fish Biol. 37: 935-944.
5. Carss, D. N. & Parkinson, S. G. (1996). Errors associated with otter Lutra lutra faecal analysis. I. Assessing general diet from spraints. J. Zool. (Lond.) 238: 301-317.
6. Erlinge, S. (1968). Food studies on captive otters Lutra lutra L. Oikos 19: 81-98.
7. Fairley, J. S. (1972). Food of otters Lutra lutra in Co. Galway, Ireland and notes on other aspects of their biology. J. Zool. (Lond.) 166: 469-473.
8. Fernando, C. W. R., Jansen, A. S. Z. & Carter, S. K. (1999). Feeding ecology of the giant otter Pteronura brasiliensis. Biotropica 31: 502-507.
9. Foster-Turley, P. (1992). Conservation aspects of the ecology of Asian small-clawed and smooth otters on the Malay Peninsula. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 7: 26-29.
10. Foster-Turley, P., Macdonald, S. & Mason, C. (Eds) (1990). Otters. An action plan for their conservation. IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group.
11. Gordon, C. & Roche, K. (2003). Range and diet of Eurasian otters Lutra lutra (L.) in the catchment of the River Lee (south-east England) since re-introduction. Aquatic Conserv. Mar. Freshw. Ecosust. 13: 65-70.
12. Haque, N. & Vijayan, V. S. (1995). Food habits of the smooth Indian otter Lutra perspicillata in Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan (India). Mammalia 59: 345-348.
13. Hewson, R. (1973). Food and feeding habits of otter Lutra lutra at Loch Park, northeast Scotland. J. Zool. (Lond.) 170: 143-162.
14. Hussain, S. A. (1993). Aspects of the ecology of smooth-coated Indian otter Lutra perspicillata in National Chambal Sanctuary. PhD thesis, Aligarh Muslim University.
15. Hussain, S. A. (1996). Group size, group structure and breeding in smooth-coated otter Lutra perspicillata Geoffroy (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in National Chambal Sanctuary. Mammalia 60: 289-297.
16. Hussain, S. A. (2002). Conservation status of otters in the Tarai and lower Himalayas of Uttar Pradesh, India. Proceedings of the VII International Otter Symposium, 13-19 March 1998, Trebon, Czech Republic. Dulfer, R., Conroy, J., Nel, J. & Gutleb, A. C. (Eds). IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 19A: 131-142.
17. Hussain, S. A. & Choudhury, B. C. (1997a). Distribution and status of the smooth-coated otter Lutra perspicillata in National Chambal Sanctuary, India. Biol. Conserv. 80: 199-206.
18. Hussain, S. A. & Choudhury, B. C. (1997b). Feeding ecology of smooth-coated otter Lutra perspicillata in National Chambal Sanctuary. Proc. Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond. No. 71: 216-229.
19. Jacobsen, L. &. Hansen, H. M. (1996). Analysis of otter (Lutra) spraints: Part 1: comparison of methods to estimate prey proportions; Part 2: estimation of the size of prey fish. J. Zool. (Lond.) 238: 167-180.
20. Jenkins, D. & Harper, R. J. (1980). Ecology of otters in Northern Scotland II. Analyses of otter Lutra lutra and mink Mustela vison faeces from Deeside, N. E. Scotland. J. Zool. (Lond.) 187: 235-244.
21. Jenkins, D., Walker, J. G. K. & McCowan, D. (1979). Analysis of otter Lutra lutra faeces from Deeside, N. E. Scotland. J. Zool. (Lond.) 187: 235-244.
22. Kemenes, I. & Nechay, G. (1990). The food of otters Lutra lutra in different habitats in Hungary. Acta Theriol. 35: 17-24.
23. Kruuk, H. (1995). Wild otters - predation and populations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
24. Kruuk, H., Carss, D. N., Conroy, J. W. H. & Durbin, L. (1993). Otter Lutra lutra numbers and fish productivity in rivers in north-east Scotland. Symp. Zool. Soc. Lond. No. 65: 171-191.
25. Kruuk, H. & Hewson, R. (1978). Spacing and foraging of otters Lutra lutra in a marine habitat. J. Zool. (Lond.) 185: 205-212.
26. Kruuk, H., Kanchanasaka, B., O'Sullivan, S. & Wanghongsa, S. (1994). Niche separation in three sympatric otters Lutra perspicillata, L. lutra and Aonyx cinereus in Huai Kha Khaeng, Thailand. Biol. Conserv. 69: 115-120.
27. Kruuk, H. &. Moorhouse, A. (1990). Seasonal and spatial differences in food selection by otters Lutra lutra in Sheltland. J. Zool. (Lond.) 221: 61-637.
28. Kyne, M. J., Smal, C. M. & Fairley, J. S. (1989). The food of otters Lutra lutra in the Irish Midlands and a comparison with that of mink Mustela vison in the same region. Proc. R. Ir. Acad. Sect. B biol. geol. chem. Sci. 89: 33-46.
29. López-Nieves, P. & Hermando, J. A. (1984). Food habits of the otter in the Central Sierra Morena (Córdoba, Spain). Acta. Theriol. 29: 383-401.
30. Macdonald, S. M. & Mason, C. F. (1980). Observation on the marking behaviour of a coastal population of otters. Acta Theriol. 25: 245-253.
31. Mason, C. F. & Macdonald, S. M. (1986). Otters - ecology and conservation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
32. Melisch, R., Asmoro, P. B. & Kusumawardhani, L. (1994). Major steps taken towards otter conservation in Indonesia. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 10: 21-22.
33. Melquist, W. E. & Hornocker, M. G. (1983). Ecology of otters in west central Idaho. Wildl. Monogr. 83: 1-60.
34. Pardini, R. (1998). Feeding ecology of the Neotropical river otter Lontra longicaudis in an Atlantic forest stream, South-Eastern Brazil. J. Zool. (Lond.) 245: 385-391.
35. Perrin, M. R. & Carugati, C. (2000). Food habits of co-existing Cape clawless otter and spotted necked otter in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, South Africa. S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res. 30: 85-92.
36. Pocock, R. I. (1941). The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma II. London: Taylor & Francis.
37. Prater, S. H. (1948). The book of Indian animals. 1st edn. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
38. Rowe-Rowe, D. T. (1977). Food ecology of otters in Natal, South Africa. Oikos 28: 210-219.
39. Sivasothi, N. L. & Burhanuddin, H. M. N. (1994). A review of otters (Carnivora: Lutrinae) in Malaysia and Singapore. Hydrobiologia 285: 151-170.
40. Tiler, C., Evans, M., Heardman, C. & Houghton, S. (1989). Diet of the smooth Indian otter (Lutra perspicillata) and of fish eating birds; a field survey. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 86: 65-70.
41. Umapathy, G. (2000). Food habits and activity pattern of the common otter Lutra lutra at Pichavaram, Tamil Nadu, South India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 97: 363-366.
42. Wayre, P. (1978). The status of otters in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Italy. In Otters Proceedings of the 1st Working Meeting Otter Specialist Group, 1977. Duplaix, N. (Ed.). IUCN Publ. New Ser: 152-155. Morges, Switzerland.
43. Webb, J. B. (1975). Food of the otter Lutra lutra on the Somerset levels. J. Zool. (Lond.) 177: 486-91.
44. Wise, M. H. (1980). The use of fish vertebrae in scats for estimating prey size of otters and mink. J. Zool. (Lond.) 192: 25-31.
45. Wise, M. H., Linn, I. J. & Kennedy, C. R. (1981). A comparison of the feeding biology of mink Mustela vison and otter Lutra lutra. J. Zool. (Lond.) 195: 181-213.