CreatureData

Neotropical otter

Lontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818)

NTNear Threatenedmammals

The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) is a species in the family Mustelidae, order Carnivora. Recorded adults weigh 6.56 kg to 7.03 kg and live up to 14.9 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Near Threatened.

Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis)
Photo: © 2006 Carla Antonini · CC BY-SA 2.5 ar · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the neotropical otter

Weight
6.56 kg – 7.03 kgsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
14.9 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Piscivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
Not recorded
Gestation
56.9 dayssrc for Gestation
Young per litter or clutch
3.1src for Young per litter or clutch
Active
At night (nocturnal)src for Active
Lifestyle
Terrestrialsrc for Lifestyle
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the neotropical otter live?

Not recorded

What is the neotropical otter?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The neotropical otter or neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis) is a near-threatened (per the IUCN) otter species found in freshwater systems from Mexico and Central America through mainland South America, as well as the island of Trinidad. It is physically similar to the northern (L. canadensis) and southern river otter (L. provocax), which occur directly north and south of this species' range, respectively. Its head-to-body length can range from 36–66 centimetres (14–26 in), plus a tail of 37–84 centimetres (15–33 in). Body weight ranges from 5–15 kilograms (11–33 lb).

The neotropical otter is found in many different riverine habitats and riparian zones, including those in tropical and temperate deciduous to evergreen forests, savannas, llanos (of Colombia and Venezuela) and the pantanal (in Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay). It prefers to live in clear, fast-flowing rivers and streams, preferably away from competition with the more boisterous giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis). Unlike other otters (including the aforementioned giant species), which live in large and cohesive socio-familial units, the neotropical otter is a relatively solitary animal, feeding mostly on fish and crustaceans.

From the Wikipedia article “Neotropical otter” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Neotropical_otter&oldid=1375474617), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the neotropical otter endangered?

The neotropical otter is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List: it is close to qualifying as threatened.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Near Threatened species.

How is the neotropical otter classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classMammalia
  4. orderCarnivora
  5. familyMustelidae
  6. genusLontra
  7. SpeciesLontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818)

Synonyms Lutra longicaudis, Lutra longicaudis longicaudis

Other names and names in other languages (50)
  • Amazonian river otterEnglish
  • Central Neotropical river otterEnglish
  • La Plata otterEnglish
  • La Plata otterEnglish
  • Long-tailed otterEnglish
  • Long-tailed otterEnglish
  • Neotropical river otterEnglish
  • Neotropical river otterEnglish
  • South American river otterEnglish
  • South American river otterEnglish
  • قضاعة الأنهار للإقليم المداري الجديدArabic
  • vydra jihoamerickáCzech
  • Südamerikanischer FischotterGerman
  • Μακρόουρη ΒίδραGreek
  • TairaSpanish
  • Gato de AguaSpanish
  • Lobito de RíoSpanish
  • Lobito del PlataSpanish
  • Lobo de ríoSpanish
  • NutriaSpanish
  • Nutria ColilargaSpanish
  • Nutria De AguaSpanish
  • Nutria de ríoSpanish
  • Nutria Sudamericana o neotropicalSpanish
  • Perro De AguaSpanish
  • neotropiikinsaukkoFinnish
  • eteläamerikansaukkoFinnish
  • Loutre néotropicaleFrench
  • Loutre à longue queueFrench
  • Loutre d'AmériquedDu SudFrench
  • LovopeGuarani
  • hosszúfarkú vidraHungarian
  • Lontra neotropicaleItalian
  • オナガカワウソJapanese
  • 긴꼬리수달Korean
  • 신열대구수달Korean
  • LanghaleoterNorwegian Bokmål
  • langstaartotterDutch
  • neotropische visotterDutch
  • Wydra długoogonowaPolish
  • Wydrak długoogonowyPolish
  • Lontra-neotropicalPortuguese
  • Vidră cu coadă lungăRomanian
  • Длиннохвостая выдраRussian
  • waylinawasae
  • Awapuyasrm
  • นากแม่น้ำหางยาวThai
  • Uzun kuyruklu su samuruTurkish
  • apatujméycn
  • 長尾水獺Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the neotropical otter

Other species in the same genus Lontra.

CompareNeotropical otter vs North American river otterNeotropical otter vs Marine otterNeotropical otter vs Southern river otter

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the neotropical otter?

An adult neotropical otter weighs 6.56 kg – 7.03 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the neotropical otter endangered?

The neotropical otter is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is close to qualifying as threatened.

How long does the neotropical otter live?

The neotropical otter has a recorded lifespan of 14.9 years.

How long is the neotropical otter pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 56.9 days.

What kind of animal is the neotropical otter?

The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) belongs to the family Mustelidae in the order Carnivora.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/neotropical-otter

MLA

“Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/neotropical-otter.

BibTeX
@misc{neotropical_otter_2026,
  title = {Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/neotropical-otter},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}