African clawless otter  (Aonyx capensis)

Species information

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Glossary

  • Crustaceans: diverse group of arthropods (a phylum of animals with jointed limbs and a hard chitinous exoskeleton) characterised by the possession of two pairs of antennae, one pair of mandibles (parts of the mouthparts used for handling and processing food) and two pairs of maxillae (appendages used in eating, which are located behind the mandibles). Includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, slaters, woodlice and barnacles.
  • Eutrophication: a process in which a water body is enriched with excessive nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) resulting in the excessive growth of aquatic plants and the depletion of oxygen, creating unfavourable conditions for other organisms, such as fish.
  • Molluscs: a diverse group of invertebrates, mainly marine, that have one or all of the following; a horny, toothed ribbon in the mouth (the radula), a shell covering the upper surface of the body, and a mantle or mantle cavity with a type of gill. Includes snails, slugs, shellfish, octopuses and squid.
  • Subspecies: a population usually restricted to a geographical area that differs from other populations of the same species, but not to the extent of being classified as a separate species.

References

  1. IUCN Red List (November, 2008)
    http://www.iucnredlist.org
  2. Alden, P.C., Estes, R.D., Schlitter, D. and McBride, B. (2001) Collins Guide to African Wildlife.HarperCollins Publishers, London.
  3. CITES (June, 2008)
    http://www.cites.org
  4. Kruuk, H. (2006) Otters: Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation.Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  5. Kingdon, J. (1988) East African Mammals: An Atlas of Evolution in Africa. Volume 3: Carnivores.University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
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