SEASONAL-VARIATIONS AND CHANGES IN THE DIET OF SOUTHERN RIVER OTTER IN DIFFERENT FRESH-WATER HABITATS IN CHILE

The diet of southern river otter Lutra provocax Thomas, 1908 was deter mined from 605 seats collected from four sites in Southern Chile betwe en 1990-1991. Crustacean remains were the most common item found in se ats. Crustacean species that were the most common in seats collected f rom lakes, became less important in the river outlets. Fish remains we re all from fish less than 100 mm in length and were found more freque ntly in seats collected at the river sites than at the lake sites. Dif ferences in the diet between otter's seats collected in lakes and thei r river outlets may be related to prey availability and vulnerability. Diet was more diverse in river habitats than in the lakes. The diet o f southern river otter appears to be closer to that described for Aony x capensis and Lutra maculicollis in South Africa. The southern river otter is heavily dependent on the abundance of three crustacean specie s. Differences in the diets observed between lake and their river outl ets suggest important differences in habitat conditions. This may have future implications for prioritising habitat protection in the conser vation of southern river otter.