Asian Small-clawed Otter - Aonyx cinereus

So, I have decided the next few posts will be about Otters. There will be three more in total, each will focus on a different species...

The first species is also the most social of all otters: the Asian Small-clawed. They form large extended family groups with one "alpha" pair. This behaviour is most commonly seen in the wolf packs. Sometimes up to 20 individuals can live together in a group! However, usually there are only up to 12. In these groups the young learn everything they need to know to survive, usually being looked after by their mother.

The mother will give birth to usually one or two pups at a time, although litter sizes can reach up to seven or eight. She makes a nest out of grass about 2 weeks before giving birth just to be ready for when they arrive. The pups do not see the light of day until 40 days when they open their eyes, and they take their first swim at about 2 months old. After that they become experts in the water.

Once they are adults, they can reach up to about 3 ft (0.9 m) in length, and weigh between 2.2 and 11lbs (1-5kg). Their long flat tails, short legs and small head, create a streamline body to help with life in the water. These otters typically have brown fur on the top of the body, along with a creamy or light brown underside. They are also equipped with very short claws that barely stick out of the ends of its fingers, as well as having a special type of incomplete webbing in between the toes. The almost non existent claws and special webbing give them better dexterity.

It's this amazing dexterity that allows them to hunt a variety of prey. For example, they mainly hunt crustaceans (crab, mollusks, etc) and fish; however, they may sometimes hunt frogs, snakes and insects. The dexterity allows them to grip the food, as well as use tools to crack open the hard shells of the crustaceans. With fish, they can easily hold onto the wiggling, slimy bodies as they eat.

This little otter has been placed on the threatened species list (IUCN Red List) as vulnerable. The worst part is that their numbers are still decreasing and soon they may be classified as endangered. They can usually be found on the grassy or sandy river banks of South Eastern Asia, and spend much of their time swimming gracefully through the water. They can also be found in a few rice fields in Malaysia, for their habitat is being used for agricultural purposes.

 

Oriental Small-clawed Otter Range

Fun Facts:

• Interacts with the family group using an array of 12 calls including greeting, mating and alarm calls.
• They are one of the rare truly amphibious (capable of living in both land an water) animals on earth. They hunt, live, play, breed in both water and on land.
• The Asian Small-clawed Otter is the smallest of all the species.
• These Otters may also be called Oriental Small-clawed or even simply Small-clawed.
• There are albino versions of this small otter, they are a light beige for most of their bodies, and white on their underside.

 And here is a video of an Asian Small-Clawed Otter playing. He is being fostered before being brought back to the zoo.