Aonyx cinerea cinerea

(Illiger, 1815)

Vernacular names
English : Asian small-clawed otter
French : Loutre naine d’Asie

Classification
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Mustelidae
Notes : 2 other subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach up to 44 cm in body length with a tail length of 27 cm and a weight up to 3.8 kg. Fairly small head with bigger eyes than most otters, flattened tail. Fur is dark brown with a light grey to white area from chin to breast.

Range and habitat
The species occurs from Nepal to south China, south to Indochina, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan. Isolated population in south-west India. Subspecies found in southeast Asian part of range, from Thailand southwards. Lives in lakes and rivers around coastal wetlands, marshes and mangroves.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : VULNERABLE
CITES : Appendix I
Status : This species is declining and still threatened by habitat degradation and pollution. Field work on this species has yet to be carried.
Ex-Situ Programs : SSP in America

Observation

 

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