African Clawless Otter
Aonyx capensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyMustelidae (Mustelids)
- GenusAonyx
- SpeciesAonyx capensis (African Clawless Otter)
About the African Clawless Otter
The African clawless otter (Lutra 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. 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").
Aonyx capensis is a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and of the order Carnivora. The earliest known species of otter, Potamotherium valetoni, occurred in the upper Oligocene of Europe: A. capensis first appears in the fossil record during the Pleistocene. Aonyx is closely related to the extinct giant Sardinian otter, Megalenhydris.
Mammal Species of the World lists six subspecies of the African clawless otter: A. c. capensis (Schinz, 1821) A. c. hindei (Thomas, 1905) A. c. meneleki (Thomas, 1903) A. c. microdon (Pohle, 1920) A. c. philippsi (Hinton, 1921)
Until recently the Congo clawless otter was considered a subspecies as well, but recent authorities treat it as a separate species A. congicus. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 6 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 8 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana |