Social Grooming in North American River Otters

Social grooming, i.e. one animal grooming another, is a common interaction among many group-living animals. The behaviour is often regarded, rather uncritically, as the “social cement” of animal groups. Although thought to play an important role in the bonding of group members, social grooming has been the subject of few detailed studies. The data presented in Table 54.1, on social grooming in North American river otters, Lutra canadensis, were taken from a larger study of the species’ social behaviour and were obtained from observations of five groups of captive otters. All animals within a group were observed simultaneously.