African clawless otter

African clawless otter
On the banks of the Okavango River, Namibia
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Aonyx
Lesson, 1827
Species:
A. capensis[1]
Binomial name
Aonyx capensis[1]
(Schinz, 1821)
African clawless otter range
Synonyms[3]
  • Anahyster calabaricus, Murray, 1860 Aonyx delalandi, Lesson, 1827
  • Lutra capensis, Schinz, 1821 Lutra inunguis, F. G. Cuvier, 1823
  • Lutra lenoiri, Rochebrune, 1888

The African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub-Saharan Africa.[2] It is characterised by partly webbed and clawless feet, from which their name is derived. The word 'aonyx' means clawless, derived from the prefix a- ("without") and onyx ("claw/hoof").

  1. ^ Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Aonyx capensis". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. ^ a b c Jacques, H.; Reed-Smith, J. & Somers, M.J. (2021). "Aonyx capensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T1793A164575819. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T1793A164575819.en. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Oldstyle id: 577b8ce82b7857d1ada9c14614d1240a". Catalogue of Life. Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands.