Geographical Range of the Giant Otter

Distribution of Pteronura brasiliensis

The Giant Otter lives only in South America. Today, it is found in the river systems of Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and northern Argentina. Broadly, these are the the Essequibo, Orinoco, Amazon and La Plata rivers and their tributaries. However, the actual areas inhabited by the animals are discrete and non-contiguous, and actual population density is very low. Over this whole million square mile area, there are estimated to be 2000-5000 animals living in family groups.

Giant Otter