Behavior
The giant otter shrew feeds underwater on crabs, fish, frogs, insects, and mollusks, which it locates with the thick bristles on its snout. It builds burrows among riverbank crevices.
These are strong nocturnal swimmers with activity starting at dusk and continuing through the night . It chooses dry leaves with which to line its nest. This is also where breeding takes place . The burrows are frequently changed. When foraging, otter shrews take frequent grooming breaks . When traveling upstream the otter shrew travels on the bank and then swims downstream. The night foraging routine is regular and predictable, and covers up to 800 meters a night. P. velox regularly visited discrete piles of feces that were sheltered and probably used to mark boundaries of territory .
Giant Otter shrews are solitary with one shrew occupying between 500–1,000 m of stream .
Read more about this topic: Giant Otter Shrew
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