Abstract

The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a semi-aquatic mustelid found throughout North America. L. canadensis is currently listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, after successful reintroduction programs to restore the historic range. To prevent future extinctions, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) created Species Survival Plans (SSPs) to preserve organisms’ genetic diversity and demographic stability in captive populations. In order to comply with SSP regulations within their breeding program, four wild caught individuals (Lily, Sam, Shadow, and Frances), housed at the Potawatomi Zoo (South Bend, Indiana, USA), were assessed for relatedness. DNA was extracted from blood samples, eight microsatellite loci per sample were amplified, fragment analysis was conducted in Geneious v10.1.3, and Lynch genetic distance was calculated in RStudio v2.11.1. Results reveal that the Frances and Sam dyad shows the greatest genetic distance, while Lily and Sam have the least genetic distance of possible male-female dyads. Based on these findings, Frances should be given the opportunity to breed with Sam and discouraged from breeding with Shadow. In order to capture the genetic diversity of wild caught individuals in captive populations, Lily and Shadow should be bred with other river otters brought into the zoo or transferred to another zoo to breed.

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