Lutra capensis

H. R. Schinz, 1821

African Clawless Otter

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Laurasiatheria
Order : Carnivora
Suborder : Caniformia
Infraorder : Arctoidea
Superfamily : Musteloidea
Family : Mustelidae
Subfamily : Lutrinae
Genus : Lutra

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Schinz, H.R. 1821. Das Thierreich eingetheilt nach dem Bau der Thiere als Grundlage ihrer Naturgeschichte und der vergleichenden Anatomie. J. G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung, Stuttgart, 894 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51528975

Original name as described

Lutra capensis

Other common names

Cape Clawless Otter

Type locality

Cape of Good Hope.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Senegal · Gambia · Guinea-Bissau · Guinea · Mali · Sierra Leone · Liberia · Cote d'Ivoire · Burkina Faso · Ghana · Togo · Benin · Niger · Nigeria · Cameroon · Chad · Central African Republic · Sudan · Democratic Republic of the Congo · South Sudan · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Uganda · Kenya · Tanzania · Rwanda · Angola · Zambia · Malawi · Mozambique · Zimbabwe · Namibia · Botswana · South Africa · Lesotho · Eswatini

Taxonomy notes

previously included A. congicus; moved from Aonyx to Lutra

Taxonomy notes citation

Jacques, H., Parnell, R. and Alary, F. 2013. Aonyx congicus. In: J. Kingdon and M. Hoffmann (eds), The Mammals of Africa. Volume V: Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses, Bloomsbury Publishing, London. · de Ferran, V., Figueiró, H. V., de Jesus Trindade, F., Smith, O., Sinding, M. H. S., Trinca, C. S., ... & Eizirik, E. (2022). Phylogenomics of the world’s otters. Current Biology, 32(16), 3650-3658.

IUCN Red List status

Not Evaluated

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005839

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Lutra gambianus

J. E. Gray, 1865

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

gambianus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

notusedas_valid

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1846.11.2.12

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/50d61a9b-a5e4-4b51-86bd-acae23dcac06

Authority page

130

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28497061

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

Gray (1865:130, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28497061) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/18241)

Anahyster calabaricus

(A. Murray, 1861)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

calabarica

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1863.12.17.5

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/c8369882-d589-4e37-9d48-4e99c913106c

Authority page

157-158

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh

Aonyx capensis angolae

(O. Thomas, 1908)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

angolae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1898.3.20.1

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/18c4d8d7-8e76-4a03-87fc-f25c9f6e102f

Authority page

388

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/24296119

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Lutra capensis meneleki

O. Thomas, 1903

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

meneleki

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1902.9.9.13

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/0973972b-7cf4-415e-b024-0bc2dd2d5f43

Authority page

309

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31543410

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Lutra capensis Hindei

O. Thomas, 1905

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

hindei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1904.12.6.8

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/96e3b97e-0bb1-4b7c-a7e0-21b3ef548c8a

Authority page

78

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19243596

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Lutra inunguis

F. Cuvier, 1823

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

inunguis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MNHN-ZM-2005-327, MNHN-ZM-MO-2001-349

Type kind

syntypes

Type specimen URI

http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/zm/2005-327 http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/zm/mo-2001-349

Authority page

247

Authority publication

Strasbourg

Name usages

  1. Matschie (1895:86, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14835479) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67260)
  2. Zimara (1935:12) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67232)
  3. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Aonyx Delalandi

(Lesson, 1827)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

delalandi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

nomen_novum

Type

MNHN-ZM-2005-327, MNHN-ZM-MO-2001-349

Type kind

syntypes

Type specimen URI

http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/zm/2005-327 http://coldb.mnhn.fr/catalognumber/mnhn/zm/mo-2001-349

Authority page

157

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207625

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

  1. Lesson (1827:157, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/54207625) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36839)
  2. Lesson (1842:72) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)
  3. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Aonyx capensis coombsi

(A. Roberts, 1926)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

coombsi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 3876

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

246

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Aonyx capensis helios

(E. Heller, 1913)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

helios

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:175750

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3bb63e42d-3793-4dd6-8378-6554329f6a77

Authority page

1

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30096101

Authority publication

Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Aonyx capensis

(A. Roberts, 1913)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

102

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50439560

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

  1. Roberts (1913:102, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50439560) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17656)
  2. Coetzee (1971:9) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67173)
  3. Corbet & Hill (1980:99) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  4. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:255) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  5. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  6. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:645) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)
  7. Kingdon & Hoffman (2013:104) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27643)
  8. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #1793) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  9. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #1793) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  10. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/1793/164575819) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Aonyx capensis capensis

(Coetzee, 1971)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

9

Authority publication

Washington

Name usages

  1. Coetzee (1971:9) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67173)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)
  3. Wilson & Mittermeier (2009:645) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67177)

Aonyx capensis hindei

(Coetzee, 1971)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

hindei

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

9

Authority publication

Washington

Name usages

  1. Coetzee (1971:9) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67173)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Aonyx capensis meneleki

(Coetzee, 1971)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

meneleki

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

9

Authority publication

Washington

Name usages

  1. Coetzee (1971:9) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67173)
  2. Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

calaboricus

(Wozencraft, 2005)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

calaboricus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

601

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005:601) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

Lutra capensis

H. R. Schinz, 1821

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

capensis

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

214

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51528975

Authority publication

Stuttgart

Name usages

Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1005839) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)

Aonyx Lalandii

(C. H. Smith, 1842)

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

lalandii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

249

Authority publication

Edinburgh

Name usages

  1. Smith (1842:249) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67141)
  2. Gray (1865:129, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/28497060) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/18241)

Lutra lenoiri

de Rochebrune, 1888

Family

Mustelidae

Root name

lenoiri

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

9

Authority publication

book

Name usages

Wozencraft (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8533)

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