Asian Small-clawed Otter
Asian Small-clawed Otter
Aonyx cinereus

Asian Small-clawed Otter
Asian Small-clawed Otter
Aonyx cinereus

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Class
Mammalia -
Order
Carnivora -
Familly
Mustelidae
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36-45cm
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2.4–3.8kg
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2 months
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2-4
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up to 20 years in captivity
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Diet
carnivorous (crabs, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, amphibians...) -
Habitat
coastal regions, lakes, rivers, mangroves, marshes -
Range
Asia (India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, New Guinea) -
Population in the wild
En diminution -
IUCN REDLIST status
These are the smallest of all otters. They are sociable and very playful.
As much at ease on land as in the water, where they propel themselves with their paws and use their tails as rudders, Asian Small-clawed Otters live in groups of up to a dozen.
Both males and females raise the young, which at birth weigh about 50g and have closed eyes. The young learn to swim at about 7 weeks and start to eat solid foot at about 2 ½ months.
This species is endangered by the destruction of its habitat, pollution and being hunted for its organs, which are used in traditional Asian medicine.