Doc 0000173979

- . • - , .. A DOSSIER ON LUTRA OTTER) (~E .. ... • ----- •• Lutra, the otter, is a co~pact, powerful, intelligent animal capable of negotiating land, water, and obstacles with great facility. Lutra can·survive in hostile environments such as under ice, in hot water, in raging seas, and even in urban environments. Capable of being easily trained and becomes devoted to humans which sometimes leads to its destruction. It can find its own food if necessary and can make long journeys routineiy. Basic cost of animal moderate ($75 -$150) as-~s maintenance. H~~ been used by man as a pet . and in the orient for fishing·\ -~ ... .. • ·- .. ~·;"'7)·.T IS AN OTTER? An otter is Phylum : Chordata Class : Ma~~alia Order Carnivora Family : Mustelidae Genus : Lutra Species: Hany species and sub-species. There are two animals commonly called the •otter• - specifically the Sea Otter ( Enhydra lutris) and the land otter (Lutra). The Sea Otter lives . mostly is nearly extinct; and .a~ sea~ . .... ~ differs consideJ;ably =::orr. the \land otters. For this reason our discussion will cover Lutra, the .land otter. * There are many species and subspecies of·Lutra. Lutra lives all over the world in various :forms~ They may grow as large ; ;: I as small seals.:In general Lutra canadensis is representative of most.~. otters in 'size, physiology, habits, etc. For this reason .. the following dossier will but infrequently refer to species and subspecies of Lutra, the River Otter. * Some taxonomists consider the Sea Otter to be so different from the Land or River Otter that it is considered to be a .Sub-Farnilv. ·: ..... -~ LOCO~·!OTION - LA!-:0 Can run rapidly on land. In the wild ranges a territory over 50 miles. Will make night excursion of 15 miles. In one case was chased 28 miles by Can climb otter-hounds~ stairs, ladder, and other objects easily. Ability to slide down inclines with ease. LOCm:iOTION - >;-J;..T:SR Must be taught '·to S\vii':'l. Can S\·-lim 10 mph or faster. Can catch most fish easily. Dives to 60 feet and can stay submerged 4-6 minutes. Enters and leaves boat easily. Can be trained to· catch fish. Sleeps f~oating on back. I 0 ,• \vill carry large fish (5-10 pounds) through the \vater. ---··------ .. -... -.,..,, ............. ... -·-··--·-·~ ~,.----=·-- ~--..-. ~__.~-;--·~ •• A:·;A?o:.:y The image displays a declassified document cover page. On the left, a stylized depiction of a vault door, rendered in metallic grays with bright blue highlights, suggests security and hidden information. To the right, bold, white text announces "THE BLACK VAULT" in a distressed font against a dark background. Below this title, white text provides information about the document's origin, specifying it's from "The Black Vault," an online database of declassified government documents, and that this particular record is from the MKULTRA/Mind Control Collection, housing over 20,000 pages declassified by the CIA. A prominent yellow link, "http://mkultra.theblackvault.com," directs viewers to the online repository for the entire collection. No photographs, handwritten annotations, official stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, redactions, or visual evidence of experimental procedures are present in this image. The image is a scanned page from a document, appearing to be a title page or index entry. The majority of the page is blank, with visible speckling and a prominent curved line on the left side, resembling a filing mark or binder edge. In the center of the page, printed text reads "A DOSSIER ON LUTRA (THE OTTER)". In the bottom right corner, a handwritten number "269" is circled. There are no photographs, stamps, forms, diagrams, or redactions visible on this page. easily. Dives to 60 feet and can stay submerged 4-6 minutes. Enters and leaves boat easily. Can be trained to· catch fish. Sleeps f~oating on back. I 0 ,• \vill carry large fish (5-10 pounds) through the \vater. ---··------ .. -... -.,..,, ............. ... -·-··--·-·~ ~,.----=·-- ~--..-. ~__.~-;--·~ •• A:·;A?o:.:y - ?.HYS!OLOGY LENGTH - 4-5 feet wit~ 1 foot tail • Some varieties ffiUC~ longer. i•1EIGHT - 25 pounds. (Sea otter 80 pounds.} Some Central American varieties as large- as small· seals. FEET - Webbed. 5 toes on each foot. Claws good for climbing, 'but not for holding.Pads on toe3 caoable of holding slippery eel. Tracks: F 2~ X 3, 5 ; H 3 X 3~5 (Lutra canadensis} Durability - 100% Guard hairs with soft fur underneath. Outer hair h;lds water; surface tension holds them together to,provide packing of under-fur to provide insulation. Some air held in· fur. DENTITION: BODY TEHPER.'O..TURE: 38-39°C .. ------- LIFE CYCLE Probably mates for life. Nos-:. species breed at any time of years, some in late February. Young born about 60 days later. Litter 1- 5 (cubs, kits, pups). Blind for 5 weeks. \'leaned in 4 months. Both parents help in rearing animals. Small animals stay with parents one year. Life span greater than 15 years. . •. -~ \. • ·. •• FEED I~:~ Young animals can be ;,ottla fed 'l.vith same formula used for human babies. Diarrhea controlled by varying sugar and \vater in formula. Rub animals' gut 'l.vith moistened finger to simulate licking of mother animal - this will substitute for peristalsis in young animals. Wean as soon as possible to fish. Eels particularly good, but any fish do. Will eat poultry, animal meat, eggs, and ~ill other high protein foods. (Ot!J.eJ:" foods, .however, do not seem to harm ) animal~ Schedule feeding of you.."'l.g onc"-e per t\vO hours and train to go overnight without !eeding as as possible just as .~con ~ with human baby. Mucus in stool normal~ Animal will catch own food· and establish own preferences.· • ·- Transporting an otter is ex~aptionally difficult. Animal resents restricted <;uarte~s and \·rill fight· and tear itself to desctruction to escape. Tranquilizers are partially effective. In like manner, once animal has enjoyed freedom equal to that of dog, it is difficu:~ to keep it caged. For transporting it is recorr~ended that it travel with O\vner or else special care be taken to The document page displays a typed summary of information about otters. There are no visible photographs, handwritten annotations, stamps, forms, diagrams, or tables. Redactions are present in the form of a large curved black mark on the left side of the page, possibly indicating classified information being concealed. There is no visual evidence related to experimental procedures or equipment apparent on this page. \·rill fight· and tear itself to desctruction to escape. Tranquilizers are partially effective. In like manner, once animal has enjoyed freedom equal to that of dog, it is difficu:~ to keep it caged. For transporting it is recorr~ended that it travel with O\vner or else special care be taken to train animal to accep~ confined_quarters (if possible). As last resort, rely on medication { t=::~::quili... zers ·;-anesthesia ) • No matter how brutal t=ansporting can be (and other ways man inflicts pain on the otter} it never seems to resent this "treatr:1ent. • . \ .. SLE::C::P!::\G: Usually sleeps on back with 'arms' folded. Likes to sleep with hu:r.ans. {lill sleep all night although in the wild it can be nocturnal. DEXTERITY: Can open zipper, climb ladder, ~~NUAL A~~ OR~ chew through zinc sheet, turn on Hater tap, carry stones and marbles - also larger objects, throw objects with head {from mouth), ho~d slipp~ry objects, carry objects in 1 arms 1 while svlil!l.m:i.ng - also in mouth, 'l.vill cover himself.· .. Si'li!·ll-liNG: Must .learn to S\'lim at early age. Has initial of water which must be overcome. .~· ~ear FEARS: Seems to show no interest and/or .. fear of cities, other anirr.als (e:.:cept .very large birds such a; eagles), jet (and ether) aircraft, railroad stations, cro\vds of people, etc. Will fear water if not trained to it. VOICE: Ranges from chirps to aspirations, sighs, "Hah", and a wail (from whimpering to rage). ... .. HISCLLANEOUS DO Is F,.(.iD DOKT Is l. Never take away food that f~o~·ot~er- pa~ticularly which he has just caught,cr suffer severe mauling. 2. Never,if possible,confine (or l.:::_ave in zoo or kennel) an otter which has enjoyed any human companionship or freedom. 3. Otters are very· sensitive. to some drugs which might be found in pesticides. 4. Do not panic when animal is in rough_water, mountainous waves, or unaer ice~ - , ., ·- \. . ! ·----..__ . - INCID£~7TAL (BGT CRI':'IC?\L A~m USEFUL) INFOR~·L~TIO~ 1. Has excellent sense of direction; can find air-holes under ice easily. 2. All otters are automatically housebroken. 3. Otters have no natural fear of man when young. 4. Has a tendency to 'ritualize' behavior (as do many animals) • For example, some will chew 5 crunches on the left side of the mouth, then 5 crunches on the right, on and on: Will roll ball up and down stomach exactly no natural fear of man when young. 4. Has a tendency to 'ritualize' behavior (as do many animals) • For example, some will chew 5 crunches on the left side of the mouth, then 5 crunches on the right, on and on: Will roll ball up and down stomach exactly the same way over. and over again; 'Nill rap.•!. door . . repetitive pat~ern: etc: · -- .. 5. Can survive water hotter than human \vould care to bathe in. 6. Is very ticklish around the ribs {good way to distract stubborn·otter). I ...." 7. Has good time sense (e. • g. will wake up exactly at a certain time'each morning). 8. Excrement (called 'spraint') has little or no odor. 9. Harness desireable 1) to keep in check in city and 2) to identify animal to hunters as being tame (in forest). (Special harness required- see page · describing it). --- ~- .. ~. -------~ --... __________ ---·----· ---==---=---=-=-_::-::_-_=_: -_:-:_-- _ - ---~ ~--·~-~- -...-. ___ ..__k ___ _ .. should have a harness so that it can be better handled in the urban environment and so that it can be identified as a pet in the country environcent (by hunters and others). Tne· otter is lanky with a small head. For this reason a special harness must be built. Because the animal slides. a lot, a •breast-plate• is nece.;;sary. The design below was worked out by Hax-.vell. In only one case did he ever suspect that his animal_ . . became •hung up• by his harness while roaming the countryside. Note that the strap~ are sufficien-t;~y tight allow .:some of the \ guard hairs to pass over it which reduces the chance of it - being caught on ob)ects. ' ., . ' .. I' VE?:7TR..~!.. VIE~v . \' -~ DO~S:\L VIE1'1 - . . ' '• ....,----- SEL3C~ED RE~ERE~CES , '.Ma.X\ve11, G., Rinq of Bricht ~·later, E.P. Dutton, Inc., New York: 1961 P3.1oer E.L., Fieldbook of Natu:::-al Historv. McGra\v-Hill, 1 I/ :::u::r::r:::~ Pu~lications, Lm, F.W., Fawcett Greenwich, } Conn.: 1954 O'Shea, M.V. (Ed.), The i'lorld Book Er.cvclonedia. W.F. Quarries co. :Chicago, 1S2a. Young, J.Z., The Life of Vertebrates Oxford University Press, London :, 1950. Farre, R. Seal r-1ornir.q, Rinehart & ~·o., New York : 1957. .s. Spector, W (Ed.) ·Handbo-ok 'of Biological Data. WADC Report I 56-273. ASTIA Docu~nt ·No. AD 110501. 4. • • ' .,_ • The document is a text-heavy page with a single column of typewritten text. There is a large, irregularly shaped handwritten annotation bordering the left side of the page, resembling a speech bubble or a wavy line. The text discusses the classification of otters, distinguishing between sea otters and land otters. There are no apparent photographs, stamps, forms, diagrams, or tables. The bottom of the page includes a footnote marked with an asterisk, and the very bottom contains faint horizontal lines, possibly indicating the edge of the paper or a document separator. Quarries co. :Chicago, 1S2a. Young, J.Z., The Life of Vertebrates Oxford University Press, London :, 1950. Farre, R. Seal r-1ornir.q, Rinehart & ~·o., New York : 1957. .s. Spector, W (Ed.) ·Handbo-ok 'of Biological Data. WADC Report I 56-273. ASTIA Docu~nt ·No. AD 110501. 4. • • ' .,_ • ' The document contains text divided into two sections: "LOCOMOTION - LAND" and "LOCOMOTION - WATER." There are no photographs, diagrams, stamps, forms, or handwritten annotations visible. The text describes the physical capabilities of an animal, detailing its speed, behavior, and ability to navigate different environments and perform tasks. There are no visual elements that suggest experimental procedures, equipment, or facilities. The visible content of this page consists of typed text, organized into a list format under the heading "ANATOMY - PHYSIOLOGY". The text details various characteristics, such as length, weight, feet, fur, dentition, and body temperature, presumably of an animal. There are no photographs, diagrams, stamps, handwritten annotations, or other visual elements present on the visible portion of the page. The image displays a typed document with a handwritten title "LIFE CYCLE" in capital letters. Below the title, there is a paragraph describing animal life cycles, including mating habits, breeding times, birth, litter size, and lifespan. There are no photographs, stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, or redactions present. The document is plain text with a single handwritten heading. The document is a typed page with a heading at the top that reads "FEEDING". The text discusses feeding young animals, including a recommendation to wean them to fish, with eels being particularly good. It also mentions hand-rubbing the animals' gut to simulate licking. There is a drawing of a curved line on the left side of the page, and a few small, handwritten annotations and dots scattered throughout the text. There are no stamps, forms, photographs, diagrams, tables, or redactions visible on this page. The image provided is a scanned document page containing typed text. There are no photographs, handwritten annotations, signatures, official stamps, forms, diagrams, schematics, organizational charts, or tables. There are no visible redactions or obscured content within the typed text. The document appears to be a single page of a report or memorandum, with a title "TRANSPORTING" centered at the top. Some smudges and speckles of ink are present across the page, a common artifact of older scanning or printing technologies. The image is a typed page from a declassified document with the heading "GENERAL BEHAVIOR". It contains several sections detailing different aspects of an animal's behavior, such as sleeping habits, dexterity, swimming ability, fears, and vocalizations. There are no photographs, stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, or redactions present. Handwritten annotation is limited to a small dash on the left side of the page. The image contains a typed document with a title "MISCELLANEOUS DO'S AND DONT'S" and a list of four numbered points regarding otters. There is a prominent handwritten curved line on the left side of the page, resembling a bracket or a separator. No photographs, stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, redactions, or visual evidence of experimental procedures are present. The page appears to be a page from a typed report or manual with an unconventional handwritten annotation. The image displays a typed document with a title: "INCIDENTAL (BUT CRITICAL AND USEFUL) INFORMATION". The content is a numbered list of facts about otters, presented in a plain text format. There are no images, stamps, handwritten annotations, or any visual elements that would suggest experimental procedures or facilities. The document appears to be a standard informational text, possibly extracted from a larger report. The document appears to be a typed report with a title, "AN OTTER HARNESS," centered at the top. The main body of the text discusses the design and necessity of a harness for otters. There are several handwritten marks on the page, including a curved line drawn on the left margin and scattered dots and short lines throughout the text. Additionally, there are what appear to be small, handwritten symbols or markings near the text, particularly in the center of the page and towards the bottom right. The text itself discusses handling otters in urban and country environments and mentions a specific design worked out by "Maxwell." No images, stamps, or official markings are visible. The provided image is a document detailing the "MAXWELL OTTER HARNESS (LEATHER)". It contains two hand-drawn diagrams illustrating the harness from ventral and dorsal views, with labels pointing to specific components such as "BREAST-PLATE", "SNAP", "BUCKLE", and "RING FOR LEASH". The diagrams depict an otter-like animal wearing the harness, showing its application. There are no photographs, stamps, forms, or filled-in fields visible on this page. The document appears to be purely illustrative, focusing on the design and components of the described equipment. This is a scanned page of a reference list, with typed text that appears to be from an older document. The page displays a list of book and publication references, including author names, titles, publishers, and dates. There are no visible photographs, stamps, forms, diagrams, tables, or handwritten annotations. The top and left edges of the page show some visual artifacts, likely from the scanning or original document condition, with dark lines and smudges present.