Smooth Coated Otter
(Lutrogale
perspicillata)
As promised, the posts this week are brief overviews of EACH of the
otter species, focusing on recent information about each species and a
vid or 2...
This is one of the 3 otter species that are found *only* in Asia, !
The Smooth Coated
Otter prefers to live in undisturbed areas. They tend to be nocturnal, sometimes hunting alone and sometimes in large groups. Smooth Coated
Otters mate for life, and live in family groups consisting of the mated
pair and their pups (often including full-grown pups). Research demonstrates that the alpha female
is dominant and determines hierarchy within the group, while the alpha
male moves the group through their territory. Smooth Coated Otters are
proficient both on land and in water. They are powerful swimmers, and on
land they climb and jump quite well.Status: Vulnerable and Decreasing
The Smooth-Coated Otter (in rust on the map below) is found through southern and southeastern Asia, with an apparently isolated population southern Iraq (it's current status throughout the rest of the Middle East is currently unknown).
Even though they tend to be nocturnal, there are some really good videos of smooth-coated otters:
A smooth-Coated Otter in the wild in India...
A family of smooth-coated otters outside of their den (thank you "Wild Otters")
...and night shots from "Wild Otters"
If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:
D Joshi, AR Bhandari 2016
> Conservation importance of Nakai-Nam Theun National Protected Area, Laos, for small carnivores based on camera trap data. CNZ Coudrat, C Nanthavong… - Raffles Bulletin of …, 2014> Al-Sheikhly, O.F. and Nader, I.A.. The Status of Iraq Smooth-Coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli Hayman 1956 and Eurasian Otter Lutra lutra Linnaeus 1758 in Iraq IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 30 (1): 18 - 30. 2013
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