The diet of Cape clawless otters at two sites along the Bloukrans River, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Title: The diet of Cape clawless otters at two sites along the Bloukrans River, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Creator: Parker, Daniel M, Burchell, R K, Bernard, Ric T F
Date: 2005
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6959
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012004
Description: The diet of Cape clawless otters was assessed at two sites along the Bloukrans River using faecal analysis. Spraints (n = 78) were collected during 2000 and 2001 and analysed using the relative frequency of occurrence and the reconstituted wet weight methods. Both methods found crab (Potamonautes perlatus) to be the most important component (>50%) of the diet. Frog, Xenopus and Rana spp., (11–42%) was the second most important component while fish (Micropteris salmoides) was relatively unimportant (<14%). Although the diet of Cape clawless otters in the Eastern Cape Province was similar to that reported elsewhere, the fact that they were preying on an alien invasive fish and not the indigenous endemic Sandelia bainsii is significant. The validity of faecal analysis methods is also discussed.
Format: 5 pages, pdf
Language: English
Relation: Parker, D. M. and Burchell, R.K. and Bernard, R.T.F. (2005) The diet of Cape clawless otters at two sites along the Bloukrans River, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. African Zoology, 40 (2). pp. 330-334.

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Bernard, Ric T F (Prof Emeritus)

Parker, Daniel M (Prof)

SDG 15. Life On Land

RU Department of Zoology and Entomology

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