Animals - Freshwater Ecology: Concepts and Environmental Applications - page 179

TABLE 9.4 Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals of Interest in Freshwater Ecosystems

Taxonomic group Common name Habitat/trophic position Comments

Testudines Turtles Rivers, wetlands, ponds, lakes/predators and herbivores About 260 species worldwide

Eunectes Anaconda Rivers, wetlands, ponds/predators Largest snake in world, up to 10 m long

Nerodia Water snake Rivers, wetlands, ponds, lakes/predators

Crocodilians Crocodiles, alligators, caimans Rivers, wetlands, ponds, estuaries/predators All 21 species endangered or threatened

Podicipediformes Grebes Lakes, estuaries/predators 21 species

Pelecaniformes Pelicans, cormorants, anhingas Lakes, estuaries, marine/predators

Anseriformes Swans, geese, ducks, screamers Lentic and lotic waters/predators and herbivores Temporary ponds and wetlands important to many

species

Phoenicopterifromes Flamingos Shallow lagoons and lakes/filter feeders Five species, all tropical

Coconiiformes Herons and storks Shallow water/predators

Falconiformes Osprey, hawks, eagles Surface waters/predators Mainly take fish from surface

Gruiformes Cranes, rails Shallow waters/predators

Cinculus Dipper Mountain stream/insectivore Dive into clear, running mountain streams to forage

Charadriiformes Shorebirds, gulls Shallow waters/predators

Gaviiformes Loons Lakes/predators

Ornithorhynchus anatinus Duck-billed platypus Lakes, rivers/predator An Australian monotreme

Noctilio Fishing bat Predators

Phoca siberica Baikal seal Lake Baikal/predators Only freshwater seal

Lontra River otter Streams, lakes/predators

Delphinidae Dolphins Coastal rivers/predators Asia and South America

Platanistidae River dolphins Large rivers in Asia and Indopacific/predators Generally blind, locate prey by echolation

Sirenia Dugong, manatee Tropical, estuarine, coastal rivers/herbivores

Hippopotamus amphibious Hippopotamus Lakes, rivers/herbivore

Castor Beaver Lakes, rivers, wetlands/herbivore Northern Hemisphere

Myocastor coypus Nutria Rivers, wetlands/herbivore South American native introduced into Europe and

North America