THE SPOTTED-NECKED OTTER 



plunged when disturbed in their lair, which was 

 invariably in the rushes, reeds, brushwood, or thick 

 scrub on the banks. 



Sometimes I discovered their lair under a ledge 

 of rock overhanging a stream, or in a hole amongst 

 the scrub-covered boulders on the steeply sloping 

 river banks. Usually when a rock crevice or ledge 

 is selected as a lair, the situation is immediately- 

 over a deep pool, into which the otters can drop on 

 the slightest suspicion of danger. 



The enemies of the otter are the larger car- 

 nivorous animals and pythons. 



The Spotted-necked Otter is so called because of 

 a few light red, yellow, or white spots on the throat 

 and chest. In several specimens which I have 

 examined from Sundays River no spots of any 

 kind were present, nor were the upper or lower 

 lips white ; therefore these are either a sub-species 

 or else the spots on the Spotted-necked Otter are 

 not constant. Two such types are in the Port 

 Elizabeth Museum. 



This otter can easily be distinguished from the 

 Cape or clawless kind by reason of its compara- 

 tively slender build and smaller size, apart from 

 its fully webbed feet and claws. 



In colour it is dark brown, approaching black on 

 the back, merging into lighter brown on the under 

 parts. The fur is short, thick, and glossy. A 

 full-grown male averages two feet in length from 

 the nose to the root of the tail. 

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