Reproduction

How does the spotted-necked otter produce its young?

Breeding takes place between June and July.

The female will give birth to between 1 and 3 young which are known as cubs after a 60 day gestation period. At birth the young are blind and their spots are orange. They will turn white as they grow.

Males have no involvement in raising the cubs.

At birth the juveniles otters do not known how to swim. Instead they must spend one to two years with their mother learning this.

Young are weaned off milk by 12 to 16 weeks and first try to swim at eight weeks old.

Sexual maturity is reached at two years old.

Behavior

What does the spotted-necked otter do with its day?

Spotted-necked otters will live together in a group with up to 20 other individuals. Often these split up when foraging. This is highly variable across their range and in some areas they are considered solitary.

These animals will groom their fur by scratching and biting it. They may also rub their body against grass, rocks and logs.

They are considered to be the most aquatic species of otter in Africa and are clumsy when on land.

When swimming the spotted-necked otter is able to hold its breath for several minutes.

Resting is undertaken in a den close to the water where they will also raise their young. Their den is referred to as a holt.

Both genders maintain a home range. That of males is larger and overlaps multiple females with which he maintains breeding rights.

Spotted-necked otters are described as highly vocal and produce a range of vocalizations including a harsh mewing and high pitched squawking to demonstrate distress.

These otters are active during the day with feeding concentrated around the hours before dawn and after dusk.

Credit: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Predators and Threats

What is impacting the survival of the spotted-necked otter?

Nile crocodiles are the natural predators of adult spotted-necked otters and young may be predated by fish eagles.

The population of the spotted-necked otter has been assessed as declining. Their survival seems to be dependent on the presence of fish.

Spotted-necked otters are threatened through the introduction of large fish to their environment which eat the smaller fish on which these animals feed. Introduced plants also cause the degradation of the water course.

Further impacting their survival are habitat loss, changes to water courses, water pollution and increasing human populations across their range. These animals are killed for food, skins and use in traditional medicines. They may also be persecuted due to a perception that they threaten poultry and fish.

Quick facts

In Swahili the spotted-necked otter is referred to as the fisi-maji or water hyena.

They may also be known as the speckled-throated otter.