Asian Small-Clawed Otter

ANIMAL:
Asian Small-Clawed Otter Aonyx cinerea

Type of Animal:
Mustelid

Habitat:
Freshwater & brackish (mix of fresh & salt water) habitats: Streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, tide pools, estuaries, swamps, mangroves, rice fields, creeks, marshes, coastal areas, swamp forest, mangrove forest, reservoirs, canals, & drainage ditches. Can be found in tropical, subtropical, & submontane areas.

Location(s):
India (West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka, Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, SE Asia, Philippines, Indonesia, S China

Appearance:
Smallest otter species, brown fur w/ whitish neck, webbed paws, whisker on muzzle, short sharp teeth.

Food/Diet:
Crustaceans, mollusks, fish, frogs, snails, mussels, shellfish, insects, rodents, snakes, crayfish, eggs

Status in Wild:
Threatened

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos& aquariums

Lifestyle:
Family groups consist of monogamous pair & up to 2 litters of offspring, each litter w/ around 6 pups.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male-Dog
Female-Bitch
Young-Pup
Group-Romp

Weight:
Adult-2.2-11 lbs
Young-4.48-4.96 oz

Gestation:
2 months

Body Length:
3 ft

Life Span: 
10-15 years in wild, 20 years in captivity

Tail Length:
0.83-1.16 ft

Main predators are snakes, crocodiles, hawks, felids, dogs, & bears.

Threatened due to habitat loss, pollution, hunting for fur, agriculture, & human encroachment.

Family groups will mob attack at predators.

More terrestrial than other otters.

Groups mark territory w/ scents and scratches.

Have vocabulary of up to 12 calls.

Pups leave family group when one of parents dies.

These animals are very active & playful.

Pups don’t open eyes until 40 days after birth.

They can be quite noisy, often chirping.

Fun Fact(s):
Fishermen have used these otters to drive fish into nets.

They can bite w/ sharp teeth if provoked.

Can dive underwater for up to 6-8 minutes.

Found in Mustelid family w/ badgers, wolverines, ferrets, & weasels.
 

13 thoughts on “Asian Small-Clawed Otter

  1. Ian

    This is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.

    Brief but very precise information… Many thanks for sharing this one.
    A must read article!

    Reply
  2. Eva

    Hi just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a
    few of the images aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but
    I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two
    different internet browsers and both show the same
    outcome.

    Reply
  3. Margarito

    Thanks for a marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed
    reading it, you’re a great author. I will remember to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back in the future.

    I want to encourage that you continue your great
    posts, have a nice evening!

    Reply
  4. Darrell

    You actually make it appear really easy together with your presentation however I to find this matter to
    be actually one thing that I feel I would by no means understand.
    It kind of feels too complex and extremely large for me.
    I’m having a look ahead to your next put up, I’ll try to get the dangle of it!

    Reply
  5. Shirleen

    Hello! I know this is kind of off-topic however I needed to ask.
    Does operating a well-established website such as yours take a massive amount work?
    I’m brand new to operating a blog but I do write in my journal every day.
    I’d like to start a blog so I will be able to share
    my personal experience and views online. Please let me
    know if you have any kind of ideas or tips for new aspiring blog owners.
    Appreciate it!

    Reply
  6. Esteban

    Nice blog here! Also your site loads up very fast!
    What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate
    link to your host? I wish my website loaded up as fast as yours lol

    Reply
  7. Alyce

    Hello this is kinda of off topic but I was wondering if
    blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually
    code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding
    know-how so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Reply
  8. Georgiana

    Great items from you, man. I’ve be aware your stuff
    previous to and you are just extremely magnificent.
    I actually like what you’ve bought here, really like what you are saying and the way wherein you assert it.

    You are making it enjoyable and you still take care of to stay it
    smart. I can not wait to read far more from you.

    This is actually a wonderful site.

    Reply
  9. Cathryn

    Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really
    useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give
    something back and help others like you helped me.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *