Lutra castiglionis

Lutra castiglionis, the Castiglione otter or Corsican otter, is an extinct species of otter that was endemic to Corsica during the Pleistocene.

Lutra castiglionis Temporal range: Mid Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Suborder:	Caniformia
Family:	Mustelidae
Genus:	Lutra
Species:	†L. castiglionis
Binomial name
†Lutra castiglionis Pereira & Salotti, 2000
Synonyms
Cyrnolutra castiglionis

Taxonomy

Lutra castiglionis was described in 2000, originally under a new genus, Cyrnolutra.^[1] In 2006, it was transferred into the genus Lutra.^[2] A possible ancestor of this species is Lutra simplicidens, known from mainland Europe.

Description

The Castiglione otter was probably very well adapted to a riverine aquatic way of life. Remains show a flattening of the sacrum, indicating it had a much stronger tail than most other otters, which would allow it to propel itself more efficiently in aquatic environments.^[2]

Remains of the Castiglione otter are known from Castiglione Cave in Corsica. These fossils have been dated to the Mid Pleistocene, approximately 157,500 BP (+22,200/-17,300).