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 [ 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. ‘I'wo 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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