Asian Small Clawed Otter

The Asian small clawed otter, sometimes known as the Asian otter, is found throughout South and Southeast Asia. They go by the names small-clawed otters and oriental small-clawed otters. The Asian small-clawed otter thrives in a variety of habitats, including mangrove swamps, freshwater wetlands, and riverine ecosystems. It feeds on organisms like mollusks, crabs, and other tiny aquatic invertebrates.

Asian Small Clawed Otter

It is under danger from things like pollution, habitat destruction, and, in certain areas, hunting. It is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. The genus Aonyx should be its superior, according to evolutionary implications from a study of mitochondrial cytochrome B that was published in 1998. They began to differ genetically around the age of 1.5.

Phylogeny

The Asian small-clawed otter, the smooth-coated otter, and the African clawless otter are all members of the sister group known as Lutra (Aonyx capensis). In Singapore, the small-clawed and smooth-coated otter species were crossed. The young and their offspring mated with the smooth-coated otter population while retaining the genetic make-up of their small-clawed otter forebears. There are currently at least 60 hybrid otters in Singapore.

More About Phylogeny

A close-up of the mouth of a small-clawed otter. The rich brown fur of the Asian small-clawed otter is lighter below and somewhat rufous on the back. Its underfur has a lighter foundation. The sides of the neck and head are dark, while the cheekbones, upper lip, chin, throat, and neck are pale. It has a small, convex head and an unadorned rhinarium. Long and ragged vibrissae line the sides of the muzzle. The eyes are located in the front of the head.

Asian Small Clawed Otter

The little ears are round in shape and feature distinct traguses and antitraguses. Long, thin toes that are webbed all the way to the joint are all over its paws. The interdigital webs’ lower surfaces are coated in tiny hairs. The four plantar lobes are shorter in width than in length. Small, almost vertical, and occasionally totally nonexistent, the claws are tiny. Females have four mammary glands.

The Location And Ease Of Access

The Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and Palawan islands are among the islands that make up the native range of the Asian narrow otter. It may be found in a variety of freshwater wetlands, including swamps, meandering rivers, rice fields, estuaries, coastal lagoons, and tidal pools. It occurs close to West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, and Arunachal Pradesh beaches. It may be found in shallow mountain streams up to 2,000 meters high in Karnataka, the Nilgiri, and the Palni highlands in Tamil Nadu (6,600 ft).

Ecology and Behavior

Asian small clawed otter families. The Asian small-clawed otter spends the most of the day sleeping. It resides in communities of up to 15 people. Between November 2014 and March 2015, 53 persons were counted in the Bangladesh Sundarbans over a distance of 351 kilometers (218 miles) at 13 different places. A group might consist of one to twelve people. As the group members’ whimpers and cries are merged, at least 12 separate noises are created.

More About Ecology And Behavior

They shout to catch people’s attention when they are upset. Otters swim on the surface using their forelimbs to row and their hindlimbs to paddle. Their bodies and tails both move as they dive underwater. In captivity, otters go through the water at a pretty quick speed, often between 0.7 and 1.2 m/s (2.3 and 3.9 ft/s).

More About Behavior

Wild Asian small-clawed otters have been observed utilizing their tails and rear feet to disperse their spraint in restroom regions. More often than those in groups of three or fewer, animals in big groups were smeared. Several geographic regions have varying distributions of latrines with smeared scats, indicating a preference for particular sites. 

Diet Of Asian Small Clawed Otter

In the Edinburgh Zoo, small-clawed otters from Asia are chowing down.
For Asian small-clawed otters, the main food sources are crabs, mudskippers, and Trichogaster fish. It has a seasonal diet. In addition, it also catches cats, frogs, snakes, insects, rats, mice, Anabas testudineus, Channa striata, and other rodents whenever and wherever they are found in ricefields. Crabs at the Huai Kha Khaeng Natural Sanctuary have carapaces that range in size from 10 to 44 cm (3.9 to 17.3 in).

Reproduction

Asian small-clawed otters kept in captivity have had their mating and breeding habits studied. Couples in captivity are monogamous. For men, oestrus lasts one to thirteen days, whereas for women, it lasts between 28 and 30 days. Typically, mating occurs in the water. The length of a pregnancy can range from 62 to 86 days. There are at least eight months between births. Both the male and the female start constructing a nest around two weeks before giving birth. 

More About Reproduction Asian Small Clawed Otter

Puppies are born with closed eyes; around the fifth week, they start to open. At birth, a puppy weighs between 45.6 and 62.5 g (1.61 and 2.20 oz), and at 60 days old, it weighs between 410 and 988 g. (14.5 and 34.9 oz). They begin to explore the area around the breeding den when they are around 10 weeks old. About three months old, they start using their mother’s assistance to paddle in shallow water. By the time they are four to five months old, they can stand without assistance.