Range: Southern India & China, the Great Sunda Islands, and Palawan.
Habitat: Freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps.
Description: Smallest otter in the world: about 2 feet long and weighing under 10 pounds. Coloration is dark brown or ash gray on top, with lighter underside, and a gray or whitish throat. The claws do not protrude beyond the ends of the digital pads. Their feet do not have fully developed webbing and look very much like human hands. They are one of the few species of otter that live in social groups.
Adaptations/Habitat: Prefers quiet pools and sluggish streams for fishing and swimming. Unlike the sea otter, they spend more time on land than in water. Otters are very skillful, agile swimmers and divers, with great endurance. They can stay submerged for 6-8 minutes. When they swim, their front legs stay tightly tucked under their body. Propulsion is produced by kicking the hind legs, and their lean tails help them steer. On long distance swims, otters will propel themselves on their backs or sides. Otters have specialized structures on their eyes which give them great vision on land and in the water. They usually spend the day hunting, sleeping, sunning on rocks or stumps, and playing.
Breeding/Growth:
Diet: Mussels, snails, and crustaceans which it locates in the mud beneath rocks using its sensitive naked finger pads. They also feed on aquatic birds and fish. In the wild they rarely eat plant material, but in captivity they easily become accustomed to it.
