FORAGING, ACTIVITY BUDGET, AND SOCIAL-BEHAVIOR OF THE SOUTH-AMERICAN MARINE OTTER LUTRA-FELINA (MOLINA 1782)
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Date
1989
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Abstract
The foraging behavior and activity budgets of marine otters were studied at three sites spanning -1800 km along the Chilean coast. A total of 1569 foraging dives were observed, of which 481 (30.7%) were successful (prey obtained). Altogether, the diet consisted of crabs (69.8%), fishes (19.9%), shrimp (6.4%), and molluscs (3.9%). Among the three sites, success rate, diet, dive time, activity budget, and possibly social structure differed distinctly. Behavior of otters at the central site was characterized by a high percentage of time spent foraging, low success rate, and consumption of large prey. At the southern site, otters specialized on crabs, lacked crepuscular activity, and spent a low percentage of time in social groups. Otters at the northern site were intermediate in most behavioral attributes. The composition of the diet, as well as several aspects of foraging behavior, are in this species intermediate between those of closely related river otters (Lutra spp.) and more distantly related sea otters (Enhydra lutris). The social organization seemed to consist mainly of monogamous family groups, and was not convergent upon that of sea otters, which are polygnous.