The small-clawed otter, Aonyx cinereus is the smallest otter in the world, measuring about 0.9 m in length and weighing around 5 kg. Its upperparts fur is brown in colour, while the underparts are paler brown. In general, the upper lip’s edge, chin, throat, sides of neck and face are greyish-white. Despite their small size, they are very sociable as they live in family groups of about 12 individuals.
The small-clawed otter can be found from India in South Asia eastwards through South-east Asia to Palawan, Philippines (IUCN, 2017). It occurs in shallow waters, tropical coastal wetlands and mountain streams, feeding predominantly on crabs and molluscs.
This species is mainly threatened by habitat destruction and illegal trade, similar to smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and common otter (Lutra lutra). It is listed as insufficiently known in 1988 and has been uplisted to vulnerable within only 20 years. Therefore, conservation efforts like the expansion of protected area and policy making must be done to protect this species.
No | Part | Habit | |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Carnivore — The eating of animals
|
No | Description | Suitability | Seasonality |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Forest → Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland Forest
|
Suitable | Resident |
2 |
Forest → Subtropical/Tropical Swamp Forest
|
Suitable | Resident |
Year Published | Assessment | Red List Category | Version |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
3.1 |
2015 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
3.1 |
2008 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Vulnerable (VU)
|
3.1 |
2004 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Near Threatened (NT)
|
N/A |
1996 | IUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
Near Threatened (NT)
|
N/A |
Collection Center | Dried | Live | Slide | Wet | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | ||||||
6 |
Profile | |
---|---|
Amal Ghazali Nasron (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals, Insects,
Biodiversity, Conservation & Forest
|
Amy Then Yee Hui (Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Fishes (Ecology), Seahorses (Ecology), Mammals (Ecology),
Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Andrew Alek Tuen (Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
|
Mammals, Birds,
Protected Areas
|
Badrul Munir Md Zain (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Mammals (Taxonomy),
|
Chong Ju Lian (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Vascular (Ecology),
Invasive Alien Species, Protected Areas, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Marine & Coastal & Climate Change
|
David Magintan (Dr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals, Elephants,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Protected Areas, Biological Resource & Ecology
|
Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
|
Mammals, Bats,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Evolution, Forest & Molecular
|
Farah Shafawati Mohd Taib (Dr.)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)
|
Birds, Mammals, Rodents, Treeshrews, Squirrels,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Ecosystems & Taxonomy
|
Jayaraj Vijaya Kumaran (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Genetics & Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
|
Jeffrine Rovie Ryan Japning (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Monkeys, Fishes, Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Data Analysis, Evolution, Genetics, Molecular, Protected Areas, Science & Technology
|
Kayal Vizi Karuppannan (Mrs.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Elephants, Fishes, Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Evolution, Genetics, Molecular, Protected Areas & Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
|
Midhat Nabil Ahmad Salimi (Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Data Analysis, Ecosystems, Education, Environment, Genetics, History, Management, Medical, Molecular, Science, Technology, Water, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Living Modified Organism (LMO), Synthetic Biology, Protected Areas, Marine & Coastal & Invasive Alien Species
|
Mohammad Shahfiz Azman (Mr.)
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
|
Amphibians, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles,
Awareness, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Environment, Forest, Landscape, Law and Policy, Management, Protected Areas, Science, Systematics, Invasive Alien Species, Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries (LMMC), National Policy on Biological Diversity, Policy, Research and Development (R&D) & Zoonotic
|
Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah (Prof. Dato' Dr.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems, Evolution, Genetics & Protected Areas
|
Nasharuddin Bin Othman (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Conservation, Management & Protected Areas
|
Rahimatsah Amat (Dr.)
Sabah Environmental Trust (SET)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Environment, Management & Protected Areas
|
Rahmat Topani (Mr.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Conservation, Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Rosli Hashim (Prof. Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Birds (Ecology), Mammals (Ecology), Spiders, Insects,
Biodiversity & Protected Areas
|
Rosli Ramli (Assoc. Prof. Dr.)
University of Malaya (UM)
|
Mammals (Ecology), Birds,
Biodiversity, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), Protected Areas & Marine & Coastal
|
Saifullah A. Jaaman @ Sharman (Assoc. Prof.)
Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT)
|
Mammals,
Biodiversity, Conservation & Marine & Coastal
|
Tan Cheng Cheng (Ms.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Mammals (Ecology),
Protected Areas, Biodiversity & Conservation
|
Tan Poai Ean (Ms.)
Department of Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN)
|
Bats, Mammals, Rodents,
Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecosystems & Management
|
Acknowledgements :- Mr. Abdul Razak Mohd Nor Rasid, Ms. Aida Salihah Binti Abu Bakar, Ms. Ajla Rafidah Baharom, Ms. Amirah Hasanah Binti Mazlan, Mrs. Aziemah Binti Kinan, Mr. Badrul Amin Bin Jaffar, Mr. Mohd Zulfadli Bin Mohd Arshad, Dr. Muhammad Farhan Bin Abd Wahab, Ms. Noor Amira Aini Binti Noor Anwar, Mrs. Noraina Bt Ab Majid, Ms. Noraini Binti Osman, Ms. Norayuni Binti Ramlee, Mrs. Nur Hazwanie Binti Abd Halim, Ms. Nurfadzilah Bt Azmi, Ms. Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Mr. Tan Kok Kiat, Ms. Umairah Binti Ishak & Mr. Yasser Mohamed Arifin
Photo credit :- Mohammad Shahfiz Azman
Species Citation :- Aonyx cinereus. Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS). Accessed via https://www.mybis.gov.my/sp/19867. [Retrieved 10 December 2023].
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