Open AccessGiant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis): a database of specimens held in major Brazilian zoological collections
Author(s) -
Salvatore Siciliano,
Gisele Lessa,
Renato Neves Feio,
Renata EminLima,
Alexandra Fernandes Costa,
Fábio Oliveira do Nascimento,
Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo,
Guilherme Siniciato Terra Garbino
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
latin american data in science.
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2763-9290
DOI - 10.53805/lads.v1i1.9
Subject(s) - otter , crania , geography , rainforest , archaeology , amazon rainforest , ecology , biology
This dataset compiles information on giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) specimens housed in the major zoological collections of Brazil. We have personally examined the specimens, which constitute of skins, crania, and partial skeletons. We compiled information on collector, date, and locality of the specimens. A total of 56 giant otter specimens housed in six zoological collections were located. Of this total, 12 specimens do not have associated locality information. Of special relevance are the specimens from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo, as they document the presence of the giant otter in the Atlantic rainforest, where it is now extirpated. Our dataset may be used in studies on distribution (past and present) of the species, and to delineate conservation policies of the giant otter. The specimens from the Atlantic rainforest may be used in museomics analyses, as they may represent lost haplotypes of P. brasiliensis.