Date Available
5-1-2020
Year of Publication
2020
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Forest and Natural Resource Sciences (MSFNRS)
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Forestry and Natural Resources
Advisor
Dr. John J. Cox
Co-Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Matthew T. Springer
Abstract
North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), native to every U.S. state and Canada, experienced extensive population decreases and range reduction until the mid-20th century as a result of overexploitation and habitat loss during European colonization. The last known river otter in New Mexico was killed on the Gila River in 1953, although unverified reports continued thru 2008. After a nearly 60-year absence from New Mexico, 33 adult river otters were reintroduced to the Rio Pueblo de Taos in the northern part of the state between 2008-2010; however, they were not subsequently monitored or studied. I characterized diet of this reintroduced otter population by collecting 877 scat samples from 20 latrine sites located on major rivers (Rio Grande = 16, Red River = 2, Rio Pueblo = 2) in Taos County, New Mexico between February, and December 2018. Hard prey remains were identified to family for fish and order for crayfish. Crayfish (66.2%) and fish (61.8%) were the most frequently occurring prey items in this study. Other prey items included mollusks and clams, birds, reptiles, and mammals. Salmonidae (39.6%) and Catostomidae (37.1%) were the most frequently identified fish families in otter scats, followed by Esocidae (14.3%), Cyprinidae (12.4%), and Centrarchidae (3.2%). Significant seasonal differences in occurrence of scat prey items was found for fish as a main prey group (p < 0.001), including the families Salmonidae (p < 0.001), Catostomidae (p < 0.001), Esocidae (p < 0.01), and Cyprinidae (p < 0.001), and for crayfish (p < 0.001). In summary, otters in the Upper Rio Grande appear to similarly consume prey to that found in other studies conducted in the U.S. My study provides the first dietary description of river otters in New Mexico and should inform otter management in the state.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2020.107
Funding Information
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, 2018
University of Kentucky, College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, 2017, 2018, 2019
University of Kentucky, Student Sustainability Council, 2018 & 2019
Recommended Citation
Wolf-Gonzalez, Gabriela Alexandra, "DIET OF A RECENTLY REINTRODUCED RIVER OTTER (LONTRA CANADENSIS) POPULATION IN TAOS COUNTY, NEW MEXICO" (2020). Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources. 50.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/forestry_etds/50
Included in
Animal Studies Commons, Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons, Biodiversity Commons, Biology Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Other Animal Sciences Commons, Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons, Zoology Commons
