Common Name: Oriental small-clawed Otter Scientific Name: Amblonyx cinereus
NEAR THREATENED Oriental smallclawed Otter Distribution: Asia
Habitat: Aquatic Height: Approx. 50cm Weight: 5kg Diet: Carnivorous Mostly fish.
Oriental small-clawed Otters have velvety brown hair that has two layers. The bottom layer is called the ‘under fur’ and is what keeps the otter warm. The top layer is called the ‘guard hair’, which gives the otter it’s waterproofing. Their fur is all brown apart from a cream bib underneath their chin. To help them move around in the water their feet are webbed until the last joint after which they have short claws. These otters are found through northern India, Taiwan and down into Indonesia and Java where they inhabit are found mostly along coastal rivers and in shallow bays where it hunts for its food. Otters are all carnivores (they eat meat). This Otters diet is made up of crustaceans, molluscs and small fish, such as catfish. Otters live in extended families dominated by the females. There will be mum and dad and then brothers and sisters of different ages. Normally after a gestation period (pregnancy) of about 2 months the female gives birth to about 4 ‘pups’. These pups stay with their mother and father for about 2 years when they reach sexual maturity. As the dominant female is the only one to breed some juveniles move away to set up their own families. Some just stay to help with the childcare and babysitting. They all hunt, eat and sleep together.