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IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Otters in Zoos, Aquaria, Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Group Sanctuaries Task Force Summary of Nutrition Guidelines for Otters in Zoos, Aquaria, Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Sanctuaries B. Henry, M. Maslanka, K. Heuer, J. Reed-Smith, G. Nidasio, 2012 Published by: IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group, Otters in Zoos, Aquaria, Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Sanctuaries (OZ) Task Force http://www.otterspecialistgroup.org/Library/TaskForces/OCT.html Photograph: Spotted-necked otter, Jenna Kocourek, Little Rock Zoo IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group/OZ Task Force/Nutrition 2012 Ver. 2 Page 1 IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Otters in Zoos, Aquaria, Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Group Sanctuaries Task Force CONTENT 1. OTTER NUTRITION 1.1 NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS 1.2 ENERGY INTAKE AND FOOD AMOUNT 1.3 CHANGING NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS 2. DIETS AND FEEDING 2.1 INGREDIENTS 2.2 SUPPLEMENTATION 2.3 SPECIAL CONCERNS 2.4 FEEDING SCHEDULE 2.5 SAMPLE DIETS 3. NUTRIENT DESCRIPTION 4. REFERENCES IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group/OZ Task Force/Nutrition 2012 Ver. 2 Page 2 IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Otters in Zoos, Aquaria, Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Group Sanctuaries Task Force 1. OTTER NUTRITION Adequate nutrition is an essential for optimal husbandry. Improper feeding can severely affect health and well-being of captive animals (Hatt 2000). Improved nutrition has often positive effects on longevity, disease prevention and resistance, growth and reproduction (Ratcliffe 1963, Dierenfeld 1997). A formal nutrition program is recommended to meet the behavioral and nutritional needs of all animals. Diet formulation criteria should address the otters’ nutritional needs, feeding ecology, as well as individual and natural histories to ensure that species-specific feeding patterns and behaviors are stimulated. In specific, diet formulation should account for animal preferences, body weight, exercise, physical condition, environmental/seasonal changes, behavioral considerations, diet item availability, gastrointestinal tract morphology, as well as the actual nutrient requirements. 1.1 NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS Metabolic studies examining the exact nutrient requirements have not been done for any otter species. Conducting these metabolic studies, which require collection of feces, urine, and blood samples under laboratory conditions, to assess nutrient requirements for wild species are difficult. For this reason, target nutritional values for otters are based on several sources and use domestic and other small carnivore pelt producing species as models. The cat is typically used to establish nutrient guidelines for carnivorous animals. The National Research Council (NRC 2006), Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO 1994), and Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition (Earle & Smith 1993) have provided recommendations for cats. A limited amount of information is provided by the NRC publication for mink and foxes (1982), which represents the requirements of another mustelid species. In addition, target nutrient values for one of the species in question has been reported elsewhere (Maslanka and Crissey 1998). Table 1 lists dietary nutrient ranges for otters, based on a variety of sources. The mink as a model animal for otters was tested with Lutra lutra and showed a lower digestive efficiency and faster passage times for the otter (Ruff 2007) –suggesting use of the higher amounts of given ranges for mink should be used for otters. Another method of assessing nutrient requirements is to consider natural feeding ecology. Presuming the unproven assumption of diet optimality in free-ranging animals, as the optimal foraging theory suggests, appropriate approximate nutrient requirements can be derived by analyzing in-situ diets (Dierenfeld 1994, Krebs et al. 1978). Insight into problematic nutrient ranges in ex-situ nutrition (in zoos etc.) can be found through comparing the ex-situ with in-situ nutrient ranges. IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group/OZ Task Force/Nutrition 2012 Ver. 2 Page 3 IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Otters in Zoos, Aquaria, Rehabilitation, and Wildlife Group Sanctuaries Task Force Table 1: Target nutrient ranges for otter species (dry matter basis). Nutrient Otters1 Protein (%) 19.7-32.5 2a Fat (%) 9.0-30 Linoleic Acid (%) 0.5-0.55 Vitamin A (IU/g) 2.44-10 Vitamin D (IU/g) 0.25-1.0 Vitamin E (mg/kg) 27-120 1b Thiamin (mg/kg) 1.0-5.6 Riboflavin (mg/kg) 1.6-4.25 Pantothenic acid (mg/kg) 5.0-8.0 Niacin (mg/kg) 9.6-60 Pyridoxine (mg/kg) 1.6-4.0 Folacin (mg/kg) 0.2-1.3 Biotin (mg/kg) 0.07-0.12 Vitamin B (mg/kg) 0.02-0.035 12 1c Calcium (%) 0.29-1.0 1c Phosphorus (%) 0.26-0.8 Potassium (%) 0.4-0.6 Sodium (%) 0.05-0.4 Magnesium (%) 0.03-0.08 Iron (mg/kg) 80-114 Zinc (mg/kg) 50-94 Copper (mg/kg) 5.0-8.8 Iodine (mg/kg) 0.35-2.2 Selenium (mg/kg) 0.1-0.4 1 Cat NRC (2006), Legrand-Defretin & Munday (1993), Cat AAFCO (1994); Maslanka & Crissey, 1999; Mink NRC (1982); Fox NRC (1982) (for mink and fox NRC protein is range of growth and maintenance, vitamins are for growth, and minerals for growth and maintenance). 1a Lewington (2002) indicated that lactation demand on female mink (Mustela) may require up to 45.7% CP on a dry matter basis (based on a calculated 83% protein digestibility). 1b Blomqvist (2001) has indicated that wolverines (Gulo gulo) may have a higher requirement for thiamin than other mustelids. 1c Authors of this chapter would caution feeding diets with 0.29% calcium and 0.26% phosphorus as the Cat NRC 2006 suggests. IUCN/SSC Otter Specialist Group/OZ Task Force/Nutrition 2012 Ver. 2 Page 4
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