Oriental small-clawed otter
|Oriental small-clawed otter|
|Oriental small-clawed otter range|
The oriental small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea), also known as the Asian small-clawed otter, is the smallest otter species in the world, weighing less than 5 kg. It lives in mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Burma, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its paws are a distinctive feature, its claws not extending beyond the fleshy end pads of its partially webbed fingers and toes. This gives it a high degree of manual dexterity so that it can use its paws to feed on molluscs, crabs and other small aquatic animals.
The oriental small-clawed otter lives in extended family groups with only the alpha pair breeding; offspring from previous years help to raise the young. Due to ongoing habitat loss, pollution, and hunting in some areas, the oriental small-clawed otter is evaluated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
This species was formerly thought to be the only member of the genus Amblonyx; however, it has recently been confirmed as being a member of the genus Aonyx after mitochondrial DNA analysis. Another synonym for the oriental small-clawed otter is Aonyx cinereus.
Oriental small-clawed otters are the smallest of all otters in the world. The overall length can range from 70 to 100 cm (28–39 in), of which about 30 cm (12 in) is the tail. Weight can range from 1 to 5.4 kg (2.2-11.9 lbs). The body is slender, streamlined and serpentine, and is flexible enough to allow grooming of almost all the body. Dark, grayish-brown fur covers most of the dorsal surface with a lighter cream coloration on the ventral surface, especially on the face and neck. The fur has relatively short hairs less than 2.5 cm in length, and it is fine, dense and velvety. Otters have two types of fur: long, stout guard hairs and a short, fine undercoat.
Oriental small-clawed otters have flattened heads and short, thick necks; eyes are located toward the front of the head. The ears are small and rounded and have a valve-like structure that enables them to be closed when swimming underwater. Nose pads are dusky or pinkish in color. The muzzle has vibrissae (whiskers) on either side. These are sensitive to touch and to underwater vibrations, and are important in detecting the movements of prey.
Similar to other otters, oriental small-clawed otters have relatively short legs, which are used to swim, walk, groom and manipulate prey. Feet are very narrow and only webbed to the last joint — not all the way to the end of the toe and this distinguishes them from all other species of otter. These partially webbed paws give them an excellent sense of touch and coordination, providing them with more dexterity than other otters with full webbing. Unlike other otters, they catch their prey with their paws instead of with their mouth. Their small, blunt, peg-like claws are extremely reduced and rarely extend past the tips of the digits.
The oriental small-clawed otter's tail is long, about one-third of its total body length. The tail is thick at the base, muscular, flexible, and tapers to a point. Subcutaneous and scent glands are located at the base of the tail. The tail is used for propulsion when swimming at high speed, to steer when swimming slowly and for balance when standing upright on hind legs.
This species can be found in coastal regions from southern India to South China, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java, and Palawan. It is known from all regions of Sabah and Sarawak, Brunei, central Kalimantan, and most parts of Borneo.
Oriental small-clawed otters can be found in freshwater wetland systems such as swamps, meandering rivers, mangroves and tidal pools. They are found in irrigated rice fields and wander between patches of reeds and river debris where many crab species (Brachyura) are likely to be found. They dislike bare and open areas that do not offer any shelter. Thus, they prefer pond areas and rice fields over rivers with bare banks. When in the riverine systems they choose areas with low vegetation and their nesting burrows are dug into the muddy banks. This species spend most of its time on land unlike most other otters.
Oriental small-clawed otters form monogamous pairs for life. The estrous cycle in the female is 28 days with a three-day period of estrus. The mated pairs can have two litters of one to six young per year and the gestation period is about 60 days. The newborn pups are relatively undeveloped; when they are born, they weigh around 50 g, are toothless, practically immobile and their eyes are still closed. They remain in their birthing dens and spend their first few weeks nursing and sleeping. The pups nurse every three to four hours for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. They open their eyes after 40 days and are fully weaned at 14 weeks. In the next 40 days, the young start to eat solid food and can swim three months later. Young otters will stay with their mother until the next litter is born. The male otter assists the female building the nest before birth and in food procurement after parturition. The life span of this species is around 11 to 16 years.
Oriental small-clawed otters are diurnal animals (active during daytime), found in remote areas, free of human disturbance. They continually groom their fur to maintain its insulating qualities. They dry themselves by rolling on the ground or rubbing against logs or vegetation. Asian small-clawed otters are excellent swimmers; they swim by moving their hind legs and tail. They ‘dog-paddle’ with all four feet while swimming or floating. When swimming at a high speed, they undulate their entire bodies, including their tails, up and down while their hind feet steer. They can dive under water for about six to eight minutes. They produce small amounts of feces, known as spraint. The spraints are important for communication among the otters; those with different smells and appearance indicate the presence of strangers. Generally, the otters sleep and rest on land either above ground or in their dens. They often sleep in areas with moderate disturbance. Oriental small-clawed otters are mostly social animals. They live in extended family groups of about 12 individuals. They are often seen playing and sliding on muddy banks and in the water in regions where they frequently visit or live. They defend their territories by working, scratching and occasionally fighting.
This species uses vocalizations, scent markings and sign heaps to communicate. It has at least 12 different types of vocalization but scent is the most important sense for communication, especially for marking territorial boundaries. The tails have scent glands which they use to deposit their musky scent on the spraint. The spraint is deposited either in tree trunks or on boulders, trails and pool edges. They also have signed heaps, which are visual indicators of an otter’s presence. A sign heap is a small mound of sand, gravel, grass or mud scraped up by the otter. Besides these methods, they also communicate with chemical and tactile cues, such as social grooming, hormonal changes and posturing.
Diet and eating habits 
Oriental small-clawed otters feed mainly on invertebrates such as crabs and other crustaceans, molluscs and amphibians. The hindmost upper teeth (pm4 and m3) are broad and robust and are specialized for crushing the exoskeletons of crabs and other hard shelled prey. They also feed on insects and small fish such as gouramis and catfish. They supplement their diet with rodents and snakes. Apart from crabs, the major prey items are mudskippers (Gobioidei). There is much seasonable variability in the diet. They hunt food by using their vibrissae to detect movements of prey in the water. They use their forepaws to locate and capture items rather than their mouths. Their incomplete webbing gives them a great deal of manual dexterity. They dig in sand and mud for shellfish such as clams, mussels and crab. To get at the meat they crush the shell manually or let heat from the sun force the shells to open.
Economic importances 
Oriental small-clawed otters consume small crabs which are considered to be agricultural pests, however, they may uproot plants in the paddy fields. They act as pest population controllers for the farmers by influencing the population of shellfish and crustaceans in their environments.
They are seriously threatened by rapid habitat destruction, hunting and pollution. Their population trend is decreasing despite being a protected species.
One of the largest oriental small-clawed otter exhibits is at Zoo Basel. There, the outdoor otter exhibit is about 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft) and has two rivers, four ponds, and over a dozen tunnels. Only one family of otters is living in this enclosure and it is shared by Indian rhinoceroses and muntjacs. The otters get along very well with the other animals and are often seen swimming with the rhinos.
||This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (October 2008)|
- Wozencraft, W. C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 532–628. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- Hussain SA & de Silva PK (2008). Aonyx cinerea. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 06 May 2008.
- Foster-turley, Pat; Susan Engfar (January 1988). "The Species Survival Plan for the Asian small-clawed otter Aonyx cinerea". International Zoo Yearbook 27 (1). doi:10.1111/j.1748-1090.1988.tb03199.x.
- Koepfli, K.-P. & Wayne, R.K. 1998. Phylogenetic relationships of otters (Carnivora: Mustelidae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome B sequences. J. Zool. 246, 401-416.
- IUCN Otter Specialist Group: Aonyx cinereus (Illiger, 1815), the Asian Small-Clawed Otter.
-  (2011).
- (German) Zoo-Nachwuchs sorgt für Trubel. Zoo Basel, written 2012-05-15, retrieved 2013-03-15
Further reading 
Payne, J., Francis, C.M., and Phillipps, K. 1994. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo. Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Society.
- Otternet: Species Profile. Oriental Small Claw Otter
- Animal Diversity Web: Aonyx cinerea, Oriental small-clawed otter
- The Big Zoo: Asian Small-Clawed Otter, Aonyx cinerea
- National Zoological Park: Asian Small-Clawed Otter
- SeaWorld: Otters
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