Appearance

The Oriental small clawed otter is the smallest of the 13 otter species. Their body measures 45-61cm (18-24in) with the tail adding a further 25-35cm (10-14in). They weigh just 1-1.5kg (2.25-11lb)

The back feet of this species is fully webbed and the front feet are partially webbed. Their claws do not go past their feet pads.

Their body is covered in dark brown fur which is quite short. On the underside their fur is a pale brown and white around the face, throat and chest.

Diet

The Oriental Small Clawed Otter is a carnivore. In the wild the main food which they eat is crabs. They will also eat fish and snails while in the water. On land they eat lizards, frogs, mice and eggs.

Range

Oriental small clawed otters are found in India, Southern China, Sumatra, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Nepal, Java and Indonesia.

Habitat

In their natural habitat oriental small clawed otters inhabit swamps, forest, grassland, wetlands, rivers, mangroves and tidal pools. They are also known to frequent human made rice paddies.

They do not like open areas choosing instead to inhabit areas with low to moderate tree cover.

The majority of this otter’s life is spent on the land unlike most of the other species.

The oriental small clawed otter creates a burrow which it digs in the side of a river. This burrow is known as a holt.