UMary Allen
Igama elithi "otter" livela egameni lesi-Indo-European elithi "abasebenzisi". Kuhunyushwa olimini lwesiJalimane, lokhu kusho “isilwane sasemanzini”.
Izici
Abukeka kanjani ama-otter?
Ama-otter athathwa njengezilwane ezidla umhlaba, nakuba ekhululekile kokubili emhlabeni nasemanzini. Izilwane ezizingelayo zingamalungu omndeni wakwa-marten. Njengama-martens nama-weasel, anomzimba omude, ozacile onemilenze emifushane. Uboya bawo buminyene kakhulu: izinwele ezingama-50,000 kuya kwezingama-80,000 zingakhula endaweni eyisentimitha yesikwele yesikhumba se-otter.
Uboya obungemuva nasemsileni bunsundu ngokumnyama. Kunamabala alula entanyeni nasemaceleni ekhanda angasukela kokumpunga okukhanyayo kuye kokumhlophe. Ikhanda le-otter liyisicaba futhi libanzi. Izindevu eziqinile, eziqinile ezibizwa ngokuthi “vibrissae” zihluma ekhaleni lazo elibuthuntu. Ama-otter anamehlo amancane. Izindlebe zazo nazo zincane futhi zicashe eboyeni, ngakho awukwazi ukuzibona.
Njengesici esikhethekile, ama-otter agqoka iminwe nezinzwane ezinezintambo ukuze akwazi ukubhukuda ngokushesha. Ama-otter angakhula afike ku-1.40 amamitha ubude. Umzimba wakhe ucishe ube ngamasentimitha angama-90. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunomsila, ophakathi kwamasentimitha angama-30 no-50 ubude. Ama-otters abesilisa anesisindo esingafika kumakhilogremu ayishumi nambili. Ezinsikazi zilula kancane futhi zincane.
Ahlala kuphi ama-otter?
Ama-otter atholakala eYurophu (ngaphandle kwase-Iceland), eNyakatho Afrika (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia), nasezingxenyeni ezinkulu ze-Asia. Ngenxa yokuthi zingahlala eduze nemithombo yamanzi kuphela, awekho ama-otter ogwadule, amathafa nasezintabeni eziphakeme.
Usebe lwamanzi ahlanzekile, anezinhlanzi ezinothile lunikeza ama-otter indawo engcono kakhulu yokuhlala. Badinga indawo yasebhange eqinile, enezindawo zokucasha nezindawo zokukhosela. Ngakho lapho kunezihlahla nezihlahla ngasogwini, ama-otter angahlala eduze kwemifudlana, imifula, amachibi, amachibi ngisho nogu lolwandle.
Yiziphi izinhlobo zama-otter akhona?
I-Eurasian otter ingenye yezinhlobo ezingu-13 ze-otter. Kuzo zonke izinhlobo ze-otter, i-otter ihlala endaweni enkulu yokusabalalisa. Ezinye izinhlobo i-Canadian otter, i-Chilean otter, i-Central American otter, i-otter yaseNingizimu Melika, i-hayy-nosed otter, i-otter enentamo, i-soft-furred otter, i-Asian short-clawed otter, i-Cape otter, i-otter yase-Congo, i-giant otter, i-otter yasolwandle.
Ama-otter athola iminyaka emingaki?
Ama-otter angaphila iminyaka engama-22.
Behave
Aphila kanjani ama-otter?
Ama-Otters yizilwane ezihlala zodwa ezihlala emanzini, okungukuthi, emhlabeni nasemanzini. Zizingela inyamazane ikakhulukazi ebusuku nakusihlwa. Ama-otters alokotha ashiye umgodi wawo emini kuphela uma engaphazanyiswa nhlobo. Ama-Otters akhetha imigodi eseduze nomugqa wamanzi kanye nezimpande zezihlahla.
Nokho, ama-otter asebenzisa izindawo eziningi zokucasha ezihlukene njengendawo yokulala. Cishe njalo ngamamitha ayi-1000, banendawo yokukhosela, abahlala kuyo ngokungavamile futhi bashintsha ngokuphindaphindiwe. Kuphela izindawo zokucasha abazisebenzisa njengezindawo zokulala nanjengenkulisa ezakhiwe ngobuciko.
Ama-otter aphinde aqinisekise ukuthi ahlala engaphazanyiswa nokuthi le migodi ayigcwali. Ugu lwamanzi lwakha indawo ye-otter. I-otter ngayinye iphawula indawo yayo ngephunga nobulongwe. Izindawo zingaba amakhilomitha amabili kuya kwangama-50 ubude, kuye ngokuthi i-otter ithola ukudla okungakanani emanzini.
Ngenxa yokuthi zithanda ukuhlala eduze namanzi, izindawo ze-otter zinwebeka kuphela ngamamitha ayi-100 phakathi nezwe. Ngemizimba yawo emincane nezinyawo ezinolwembu, ama-otter ajwayele ukuphila emanzini. Ziyakwazi ukutshuza kahle futhi zibhukude ngokushesha kunamakhilomitha ayisikhombisa ngehora. I-otter ingahlala ngaphansi kwamanzi kuze kube yimizuzu eyisishiyagalombili. Ngemva kwalokho kufanele aye phezulu ukuze athole umoya.
Kwesinye isikhathi ama-otter atshuza ngamamitha angama-300 kanye namamitha ayi-18 ukushona. Lapho utshuza, ikhala, nezindlebe kuyavalwa. Ebusika, ama-otter atshuza amabanga amade ngaphansi kweqhwa. Kodwa futhi zihamba ngokushesha futhi ngokushelelayo emhlabathini. Bavame ukuhamba amakhilomitha angama-20. Ama-otters aluka indlela yawo ngokushesha otshanini nasemifuleni. Uma befuna ukuthola umbono ophelele, bame ngemilenze yangemuva.
Azala kanjani ama-otter?
Ama-otter asuke esevuthiwe ngokocansi ngemva kweminyaka emibili kuya kwemithathu yokuphila. Abanayo isizini emisiwe yokukhwelana. Ngakho-ke, intsha ingazalwa unyaka wonke.
Ngemva kokuhlangana, i-otter yesifazane ikhulelwe izinyanga ezimbili. Ngemva kwalokho, ngokuvamile uphonsa eyodwa kuya kwabathathu, kancane kancane amane noma amahlanu. I-otter encane inesisindo esingamagremu angu-100 nje kuphela, ekuqaleni ayiboni, futhi ivula amehlo ayo kuphela ngemva kwenyanga. Umama uncelisa izingane zakhe izinyanga eziyisithupha, nakuba izingane sezidla ukudla okuqinile ngemva kwamasonto ayisithupha. Basuka ebhilidini okokuqala ngemuva kwezinyanga ezimbili. Ngezinye izikhathi ama-otter amancane awesaba kakhulu amanzi. Khona-ke umama kufanele abambe amaphuphu akhe entanyeni awacwilise emanzini.
Ama-otter azingela kanjani?
Ama-otter asebenzisa amehlo awo ukuze aziqondise. Emanzini aludaka, zisebenzisa amadevu ukuze zilandelele inyamazane yazo. Ngalezi zinwele, ezifinyelela kuma-intshi amabili ubude, ama-otter angakwazi ukuzwa ukunyakaza kwezilwane ezizingelayo. Amadevu abuye asebenze njengesitho esithintekayo.
Izinhlanzi ezincane zidla ama-otter ngokushesha. Izilwane ezizingelayo ezinkulu ziqale zilethwe endaweni ephephile yasebhange. Yilapho kuphela lapho ezidla khona ngokushaya ngamandla, zibambe inyamazane phakathi kwezidladla zangaphambili. Ama-otter ngokuvamile ahlasela izinhlanzi ngaphansi kwamanzi ngoba izinhlanzi zinenkinga yokubheka phansi. Izinhlanzi zivame ukubalekela ngasosebeni ukuze zicashe khona. Ngenxa yalokhu, ama-otter ngezinye izikhathi aphebeza imisila yawo ukuze ahambise izinhlanzi emifudlaneni lapho engazingela khona kalula.