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Peruvian Water Puppy


Peruvian Water Puppy
Photo Information
Copyright: The dude who loves Frogs (AnimalExplorer) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1040 W: 10 N: 2372] (9080)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Nikon D200
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Mammal [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-08-15 16:23
Viewed: 2831
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Giant River Otter
(Pteronura brasiliensis)

Well here is another shot of these super high energized water puppies. Finally after several trips to a certain location, I was given the chance to photograph these aquatic inhabitants for the first time out of the water, most the time they're swimming around in their little pod group hunting for fish having fun.

HABITAT:

The giant otter is found in the lakes, slow-moving forested rivers, creeks, reservoirs, and swamps of South America. They are absent from Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. They are highly social animals found in extended family groups of 10-20 individuals. They share roles within the group, which is structured around the dominant, breeding pair.


ENEMIES:

Giant otters are at the top of the food chain, and therefore have few natural predators. Jaguars are some of the few that have been known to hunt them. Humans are their main enemies, at one time exclusively hunting them for their fur. One pelt was worth a year's wages in South America, and so giant otters were hunted by most everybody, driving them nearly to extinction by the 1970's. Today they are very rare, with an estimated population of only 2000-5000. Factors besides the fur trade are keeping their numbers down. Ignorant fishers sometimes shoot them, as they are thought to compete with the fishing industry. Other factors include mercury poisoning caused by gold mining; habitat loss; and the disturbance of waterways by boaters.

CONSERVATION

Much is being done to protect the giant otter. In 1973, CITES classified the giant otter as endangered and banned all trade in pelts. The Philadelphia Zoo opened up the first North American exhibit of giant otters in order to increase public awareness. Finally, a sanctuary for giant otters and other native endangered species was created in 1995. It is an 81510 acre lot on the Duroche Ranch, and was created by the Nature Conservancy with Ecotropica.

Source

Paul Bratescu Copyright 2006 All rights reserved
aido, Martina, wkshelton, Hil, red45, jcoowanitwong, jmp, hester, SkyF, marhowie, kedavis has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1095 W: 169 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-08-15 16:32]

Hi Paul,
Superb shot, great textures and bokeh, 200-400? Nicely framed, perfect DOF and details and noise-free. I like this because it gives us a good idea of his size and he looks big. Great eye contact too, excellent shot.
Cheers,
Adrian

Hi Paul!
What a great picture! Fantastic animal, clear and sharp photo.
Regards,
Martina

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2171 W: 231 N: 4052] (13473)
  • [2006-08-15 18:11]

Hi Paul

Did you change your nickname?:) How can you do that?
Anyway, splendid capture! Really well done!
Perfect full-frontal POV, great eye-contact, excellent details, colors and lighting.
As i said: very well done!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 750 W: 13 N: 1453] (4981)
  • [2006-08-15 18:43]

Hi Paul,

Superb shot, nice to see one out the the water as they really look different on the land, I love the big webby feet.

Great pose and POV, the detail is nice and sharp and nice colours.

TFS
REgards Hilary :)

Hi Paul,
What a funny looking otter. has he been stretched!!
Good colours, lighting and exposure. The POV is good.
Well composed and good notes.
Thanks for posting, have a great week.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2840 W: 75 N: 8085] (27387)
  • [2006-08-16 2:33]

Hi Paul!
New name but same quality :-) Fantastic animal! Very friendly and funny. You catched it in good pose, I like its face also. Rare on TN.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3119 W: 236 N: 5954] (20104)
  • [2006-08-16 2:47]

Oh my gosh, Paul.
What a funny looking face, and what strange body proportions.
Very interesting webbed feet for a mammal. : 0
Excellent POV that exposes the unusual markings on his fur.
Sharp details that are well exposed and in a shallow DOF.
TFS. : )

Hell Paul, excllent colors, Bg, POV DOf perfect details, very crisp on the river otter, Excllent work and capture. TFS Kyle

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2006-08-16 7:48]

Otra presentación de estos bellos animales en su medio natural.
Bonito POV y DOF, aunque las dimensiones de la imagen son algo reducidas.
Saludos... Ricardo

Another presentation of these beautiful animals in their natural ambit.
Beautiful POV and DOF, although the dimensions of the image are something reduced.
Greetings... Ricardo

Composition: ****
Sharpness: ***
Color: ****
Lighting ****
DOF: ****
POV: ****
Note: *****

Hi Paul,
Excellent shot. This pose really gives a sense of how big these unique looking otters are. Great comp. and framing. That is a nice one!
Scott

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1029 W: 0 N: 90] (7759)
  • [2006-08-16 8:31]

Hi Paul
Well seen and captured. Good colours, sharpnes, light and POV.
Well done

osse

Hi Paul,
Excellent potrait of this giant otter. Perfect posed and well composed. POV, DOF, and sharpness are great. TFS.
JC

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2341] (8407)
  • [2006-08-16 13:37]

Hi Paul,
Another excellent animal portrait with insurpassed composition, pose, color and natural environment.
José M.

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1517 W: 18 N: 3137] (11548)
  • [2006-08-16 13:40]

Wow great shot this really shows the long sleek body, Great colours, textures, sharpness and composition

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2006-08-16 16:55]

Hello Paul,
ohhhh it looks sad. But what a great capture, Wonderful POV and excellent details and textures. Very well composed with very nice sharpness.
TFS..Sky

Hello animal explorer..I mean Paul :)
This is great. You've caught the full facial expression of the explored animal, ;-}} even from this distance. The otter is well seen from this great BG with very good light, color, and sharp detail..An excellent panoramic composition :)
Very well done!

Hi Paul
Super water puppies is a good description. Very nice capture. He is certainly watching you...

I can't help but wonder how ferocious these otters must be. Our local otters are quite small by comparison. I have seen them drag a good sized black lab off the dock. The dog almost drowned and had to be stitched up all over. The reason for this attach was later learned. She had stashed pups under the dock.

Take Care
Kathy

Loof at those flippers! Long & slender critter, Explorer ! :) ... Xplorator

I've seen a couple in Brazil with two puppies. My pics were terrible as it was too dark and my little boat not still enough.
Your pic is so sharp. Also the pose of the otter is so majestic.
TFS
JM

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