Aquatic bird predation by neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis annectens), at Río Yaqui, Sonora, México

Abstract

WE REPORT THE PREDATION OF AQUATIC BIRDS BY NEOTROPICAL RIVER OTTERS (L. LONGICAUDIS ANNECTENS) AT RÍO YAQUI, SONORA. AS MANY AS 25 SKULLS, POST-CRANIAL SKELETONS AND FEATHERS WERE FOUND AT RIVER OTTER FEEDING SITES. THE NEOTROPICAL CORMORANT (PHALACROCORAX BRASILIANUS) WAS THE MOST PREDATED BIRD WITH 16 INDIVIDUALS, FOLLOWED BY MEXICAN MALLARD (ANAS PLATYRHYNCHOS DIAZI) WITH 4 INDIVIDUALS, GREAT EGRET (ARDEA ALBA) WITH 3 INDIVIDUALS, YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON (NYCTANASSA VIOLACEA), AND BROWN PELICAN (PELECANUS OCCIDENTALIS), BOTH WITH 1 INDIVIDUAL. WITH RESPECT TO FISH, THE TILAPIA OREOCHROMIS, WAS THE ONLY SPECIES FOUND IN SCATS. NEOTROPICAL RIVER OTTER FEEDING HABITS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD AVAILABILITY AT DIFFERENT SEASONS OF THE YEAR. THESE RECORDS SHOW THAT NEOTROPICAL RIVER OTTERS ARE OPPORTUNISTIC PREDATORS, THAT USE A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIES FROM RIPARIAN HABITATS. THESE RECORDS ALSO SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT NEOTROPICAL RIVER OTTERS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS AN UMBRELLA SPECIES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF WHOLE ECOSYSTEMS GIVEN THAT THEIR PRESENCE IS AN INDICATOR OF HIGH ENERGETIC AVAILABILITY AND HIGH BIODIVERSITY.