Lontra is a genus of otters from the Americas.

Species

These species were previously included in the genus Lutra, together with the Eurasian otter, but they have now been moved to a separate genus. The genus comprises five living and one known fossil species:

Extant species

Genus Lontra – Gray, 1843 – five species
Common nameScientific name and subspeciesRangeSize and ecologyIUCN status and estimated population
North American river otterLontra canadensis (Schreber, 1777) Seven subspecies L. c. canadensis (Schreber, 1777)L. c. kodiacensis (Goldman, 1935)L. c. lataxina (Cuvier, 1823)L. c. mira (Goldman, 1935)L. c. pacifica (J. A. Allen, 1898)L. c. periclyzomae (Elliot, 1905)L. c. sonora (Rhoads, 1898)North AmericaSize: Habitat: Diet:LC
Southern river otterLontra provocax (Thomas, 1908)Chile and ArgentinaSize: Habitat: Diet:EN
Neotropical otterLontra longicaudis (Olfers, 1818) Four subspecies L. l. enudrisL. l. incarumL. l. longicaudisL. l. raferrousSouth America and the Caribbean island of TrinidadSize: Habitat: Diet:NT
Northern neotropical otterLontra annectens (Forsyth Major, 1897) Two subspecies L. a. annectensL. a. colombianaCentral America, South AmericaSize: Habitat: Diet:NE
Marine otterLontra felina (Molina, 1782)South AmericaSize: Habitat: Diet:EN
Fossil Lontra remains from the Miocene of Florida (FLMNH). The oldest Lontra fossils known.

Extinct species

Scientific nameCommon nameDistribution
†Lontra weiriWeir's otterPliocene North America