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15 March 2022 Presence of Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis) at High Elevation between Watersheds
Juan Pablo Esparza-Carlos, Pablo César Hernández-Romero, Jaime Antonio Escoto Moreno
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Abstract

The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is associated with freshwater systems and is generally found at elevations lower than 1500 masl. Its diet is based on fish and crustaceans. We present 3 photorecords of the neotropical otter at the divide between 2 hydrological basins in the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve, Jalisco, México. The photos were taken at an altitude near 2000 masl, and one of them was >600 m from a water source. The area does not present optimal conditions for the presence of otter since water flows are low, fish are absent, and crustaceans are scarce. These records are evidence of the neotropical otter at high altitude in environments where conditions are suboptimal for the species. In addition, the importance of conserving the basin headwaters is discussed, since the headwaters can support movement or occasional stays of the neotropical otter in marginal habitat and thereby maintain the connectivity between basins and facilitate genetic exchange between otter populations.

© 2022
Juan Pablo Esparza-Carlos, Pablo César Hernández-Romero, and Jaime Antonio Escoto Moreno "Presence of Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis) at High Elevation between Watersheds," Western North American Naturalist 82(1), 167-173, (15 March 2022). https://doi.org/10.3398/064.082.0116
Received: 21 December 2020; Accepted: 8 September 2021; Published: 15 March 2022
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