Asian Small-Clawed Otter
(Aonyx
cinereus)
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 the 3rd of the 3 otter species that are found *only* in Asia, !
The Asian
Small-Clawed Otter is the smallest of all otter species, and also, arguably, the
most social. They mate for life, and live in family groups of between
four and twelve, and sometimes up to twenty, otters. The group hunts,
plays, and sleeps together. These otters will travel a long distance out
of water in search of new habitats. They don't generally dive deeper
than their body length in search of food, and spend more time out of the
water than most otter species.
(Was also known as Oriental Small-Clawed Otter).
The Asian
Small-Clawed Otter is the smallest of all otter species, and also, arguably, the
most social. They mate for life, and live in family groups of between
four and twelve, and sometimes up to twenty, otters. The group hunts,
plays, and sleeps together. These otters will travel a long distance out
of water in search of new habitats. They don't generally dive deeper
than their body length in search of food, and spend more time out of the
water than most otter species.(Was also known as Oriental Small-Clawed Otter).
Status: Vulnerable and Decreasing
The areas in yellow on the map below show where the Asian Small-Clawed Otter lives in southeast Asia. Despite how adaptable they are, they have become extinct in large parts of their original range.
Asian Small-Clawed Otters are very social and gregarious, watch and see for yourself!
Asian Small-Clawed Otters (India) caught on camera by Wild Otters...
Here are a few clips of a family group kept at woodland Park Zoo (who participates in the Species Survival Plan):
...a group of otters is, appropriately, called a romp...
...otters interacting with a crow (starts @ 3.20)...
...nap time at Woodland Park Zoo
If you want more in-depth reading a few research articles you could explore on these otters includes:
> Conservation of the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) in human-modified landscapes, Western Ghats, India, N Prakash, D Mudappa, TRS Raman… - Tropical Conservation …, 2012
> Conservation
of a river for biodiversity and ecosystem services: the case of the
Halda–the unique river of Chittagong, Bangladesh, H Kabir, M Kibria, M Jashimuddin, International Journal of …, 2015
> Science-driven management of protected areas: a Philippine case study, NAD Mallari, NJ Collar, PJK McGowan… - Environmental …, 2013
