All items sold on this website are polyurethane resin replicas, made in USA. No real or natural bone is available on this site.
Pteronura brasiliensis Skull Replica measures 6.6 inches. Pteronura brasiliensis Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium & jaw).
Pteronura brasiliensis is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 5 ft 11 inches.
Atypical of mustelids, the Pteronura brasiliensis is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members. The groups are centered on a dominant breeding pair and are extremely cohesive and cooperative.
Although generally peaceful, the species is territorial, and aggression has been observed between groups. The Giant River Otter is diurnal, being active exclusively during daylight hours.
It is the noisiest otter species, and distinct vocalizations have been documented that indicate alarm, aggression, and reassurance.
The P. brasiliensis ranges across north-central South America; it lives mostly in and along the Amazon River and in the Pantanal. Its distribution has been greatly reduced and is now discontinuous.
The Giant Otter subsists almost exclusively on a diet of fish, particularly characins and catfish, but may also eat crabs, turtles, snakes and small caimans.
It has no serious natural predators other than humans, although it must compete with other predators, such as the Neotropical otters and various crocodilian species, for food resources.
Decades of poaching for its velvety pelt, peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, considerably diminished population numbers. The species was listed as endangered in 1999 and wild population estimates are typically below 5,000.
The Guianas are one of the last real strongholds for the species, which also enjoys modest numbers – and significant protection – in the Peruvian Amazonian basin.
It is one of the most endangered mammal species in the Neotropics. Habitat degradation and loss is the greatest current threat. They are also rare in captivity; in 2003, only 60 Giant Otters were being held.
