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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Asian
small-clawed otter, Asian short-clawed otter, Oriental
small-clawed otter, small-clawed otter |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Mammalia |
| ORDER: |
Carnivora |
| FAMILY: |
Mustelidae |
| GENUS: |
Aonyx |
| SUBGENUS
SPECIES: |
Amblonyx
cinerea |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Asian
small-clawed otters are one of 13 species of otters
in the carnivore family Mustelidae. Other members
of this family include weasels, skunks, and ferrets.
Otters in this genus are characterized by only partial
webbing between their toes, and small, blunt, peg-like
claws. Other otters have fully webbed feet and strong,
well-developed claws. Asian small-clawed otters
have slender, serpentine bodies with dense, luxurious
fur. |
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| SIZE: |
The
Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest of all
otters, measuring 65-94 cm (26-37 in.). |
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| WEIGHT: |
Approximately
1-5 kg (2.2-11 lb.) |
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| DIET: |
Feed
mainly on crustaceans, mollusks, and frogs; They
forage with their sensitive paws, which enable them
to locate prey in silt-bottomed riverbeds. |
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| GESTATION: |
About
2 months |
| ESTRAL
PERIOD |
24
to 30 day estrus cycle with 3 days of estrus |
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| LIFE
SPAN: |
On
average, 10-15 years with some individuals living
more than 20 years in zoological parks. |
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| RANGE: |
Southeast
Asia from northern India to southeastern China,
the Malay Peninsula, and parts of Indonesia |
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| HABITAT: |
They
prefer freshwater and brackish habitats such as
rivers, creeks, estuaries, and coastal waters. They
may also spend a great deal of time out of the water,
traveling considerable distances between waterways. |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
Unknown |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Near
Threatened |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
An
individual otter maintains a territory. Otters mark
their territories with scent, and fervently patrol
and defend their territories. |
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| 2. |
Asian otters are considered semi-social. Scent is
the most important communication for all freshwater
otters. Each otter's scent is as individual as a
fingerprint. Asian otters also communicate vocally,
with a repertoire of at least 12 calls. |
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| All
otters have been exploited for their thick, velvety
fur. All species of otters are protected by the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a worldwide
treaty developed in 1973 to regulate trade in wildlife
species. |
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|
|
Byrum,
J. Otters. SeaWorld Education Department
Publication. San Diego. SeaWorld, Inc. 1997.
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|
|
Nowak, Ronald M. (ed.). Walker's Mammals of the
World. Vol. II. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1991. |
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Parker, S. (ed.). Grizmek's Encyclopedia of
Mammals. Vol. IV. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing
Co., 1990.
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Smithsonian:
Mammal Species of the World Website
http://nmnhgoph.si.edu/msw/
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University
of Michigan - Animal Diversity Web
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu |
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