River Otter
Lontra longicaudis 
Makushi name: Saro, Pînmaimî 
Creole name: Small Water Dog, Crab Dog 
Size: body=65 cm; tail=40 cm; weight=6.5 kg 
Description: Distinctive low, streamlined shape reflects its semiaquatic habits. Upperparts brown, underparts pale grey to whitish. Feet webbed; tail thick at base, tapered at tip. Unlikely to be confused with any mammal except Giant Otter, which has white markings on the throat and is much larger. 
Activity: Diurnal where not hunted; terrestrial and semiaquatic. 
Habits: Usually solitary; groups are sometimes seen, commonly a mother with almost full-grown offspring or a male-female pair. Den is located in burrows on banks, with the entrance above or below water. This species is always found in or near water. It is a fast and agile swimmer, but moves with an awkward, humping gait on land. It eats fish and aquatic invertebrates and may occasionally take birds or mice. Lone individuals are usually silent, mothers with young may whistle, purr, or growl. 
Habitat: Along forested rivers, streams and lagoons. Usually found along larger bodies of water, subadults may disperse by traveling along tiny creeks. 
Signs: Tracks often seen on sandy banks; tracks broad (60 to 80 mm in adults) with distinctive webbing between toes, tail leaves drag marks between tracks; scat (droppings) are conspicuously placed on rocks in or near water, scat usually contains large amounts of invertebrate exoskeleton. 
Status: Rare. Listed on CITES Appendix I. 
Distribution in Iwokrama