| SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON NAME: | giant river otter, waterdog | | KINGDOM: | Animalia | | PHYLUM: | Chordata | | CLASS: | Mammalia | | ORDER: | Carnivora | | FAMILY: | Mustelidae | | GENUS SPECIES: | Pteronura brasiliensis | |
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| DESCRIPTION: | Short coat appears brown when dry and a dark, shiny mocha when wet. Lips, chin, throat, and upper chest exhibit white blotches - which may merge into a single white "bib". Paws are large and webbed. Tail is thick at base and tapers to a dorsoventrally flattened end. | |
| SIZE: | Head & body length = 864-1,400 mm
Tail length = 330-1,000 mm | |
| WEIGHT: | | | MALE | 26-34 kg | | FEMALE | 22-26 kg | |
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| GESTATION: | 65-70 days | | NURSING DURATION | Weaned at 3-4 months | |
| SEXUAL MATURITY: | Approximately 2 years | |
| LIFE SPAN: | Approximately 14 years | |
| RANGE: | Historically, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, eastern Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina were included. | |
| HABITAT: | Slow-moving rivers and creeks within forests, swamps, and marshes. Shows a particular preference for waterways with gently sloping banks and good cover. | |
| POPULATION: | GLOBAL | No data | |
| STATUS: | IUCN | Vulnerable | | CITES | Appendix I | | USFWS | Endangered | |
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