The marine otter, called chungungo in Spanish, is the only otter species that lives almost entirely in the sea, inhabiting rocky, wave-exposed Pacific coastlines of Peru and Chile with a small population reaching southern Argentina. It is also among the smallest marine mammals in the Americas, sheltering in coastal caves and crevices and diving in the surf zone to catch crabs, mollusks, and small fish. Past hunting for its pelt and ongoing coastal disturbance have left it classified as Endangered.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or Extinct Scientific Name Conservation Status Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Lontra, Taxa Source Marine Otter (Wikidata)
In Biome
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Lontra felina
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
2. GBIF Species API
3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Lontra felina
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
CITES Appendix I
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive (hunted-fished)
While illegal, harvesting marine otters is a fairly frequent occurrence in Chile, as the potential of being caught and fined is low
In Biome: Intertidal Zone, Habitat Regions, biome: intertidal or littoral
intertidal or littoral intertidal or littoral
View the Source 4. Marine Otter (Wikidata)
Wikidata- Wikidata Q644224 (P225 taxon name)
Statements section, conservation status (P141)
IUCN Red List conservation status (Wikidata property P141): endangered.
- Child Taxon Of: Lontra, Wikidata P171 (parent taxon) claim, rank=normal, target=Q1777275 (Lontra)
View the Source 5. Wikipedia: Marine Otter
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