Smooth-coated otter

The smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a freshwater otter species found in parts of South and Southwest Asia, with most of them living in Southeast Asia. These otters are special because of their smooth, short fur, which makes them different from other otter kinds.

Unfortunately, smooth-coated otters are not very common today. They were listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 1996 because their homes are disappearing, their wetlands are becoming polluted, and some people hunt them for the illegal wildlife trade. This makes it important for everyone to help protect these amazing animals and their habitats.

Smooth-coated otters are excellent swimmers and love to play in the water. They are clever animals, able to find food and stay safe in their environment. Protecting these otters helps keep our natural world healthy and beautiful for all living things.

Characteristics

The smooth-coated otter has a short, sleek coat of dark-brown to reddish-brown fur on its back and lighter grayish-brown fur on its underside. It has a rounded head and a diamond-shaped, hairless nose, which helps to set it apart from other otter species. Its tail is flattened, and its legs are short and strong, with large, webbed feet that have sharp claws for catching slippery fish. These otters are relatively large, weighing between 7–11 kg (15–24 lb) and measuring around 59–64 cm (23–25 in) in body length, with a tail that is 37–43 cm (15–17 in) long. Females have two pairs of teats to nurse their small litters of several young.

Taxonomy

The smooth-coated otter was first described by a scientist named Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in 1826. Another scientist, John Edward Gray, gave it the genus name Lutrogale in 1865. Over time, scientists have identified three regional subspecies of this otter. One lives in India, Nepal, parts of China, Indochina, Southeast Asia, and islands like Sumatra and Java. Another is found in Pakistan, and the third lives in Iraq near the Tigris River.

This otter is the only living species in its genus, Lutrogale. It is closely related to the Asian small-clawed otter and the African clawless otter. Scientists estimate that these otters began to genetically diverge about 1.33 million years ago. In Singapore, some smooth-coated otters have mixed with Asian small-clawed otters, creating hybrid populations that still exist today.

Main article: scientific name
Main articles: zoological specimens, subspecies, monotypic, sister clade, hybridisation

Distribution and habitat

The smooth-coated otter lives in many parts of South and Southeast Asia, including countries like Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Thailand. It also lives in places like Myanmar, Vietnam, and islands such as Borneo and Sumatra. These otters prefer areas with plenty of fresh water, such as wetlands, rivers, lakes, and rice paddies.

In some areas, they share their homes with other otter species and prefer larger water bodies. In Singapore, they have adapted well to city environments, using urban structures like gaps under buildings for shelter. This population is growing and becoming more common.

Behaviour and ecology

The smooth-coated otter lives in groups of up to 11 individuals. They rest on sandy riverbanks and make their homes under tree roots or among boulders. These otters are mostly active during the day, taking a short break around midday. They mark their territory by urinating and sprainting on rocks or plants.

These otters communicate with whistles, chirps, and wails. They mainly eat fish, such as Trichogaster, climbing gourami, and catfish. During rice planting season, they also hunt rats in rice fields. Their diet can also include snakes, amphibians, and insects, especially when living near other otter species, where they prefer larger fish. In some areas, they also eat shrimp, crabs, molluscs, birds, and amphibians, depending on the season and salinity of the water.

Threats

The smooth-coated otter faces many dangers, mainly from humans. Their homes, the wetlands, are often lost to make way for settlements, farms, and hydroelectric projects. Water pollution from pesticides also harms these animals and reduces their food supply. Sadly, otters are sometimes killed, especially near places where fish are farmed.

In India, along the Chambal River, otters are most at risk in winter when they care for their young, as human activities like harvesting crops can disturb them. There have also been cases where otters were found being sold illegally as pets, showing how some people seek them for the wildlife trade.

Conservation

The smooth-coated otter is a protected species in most countries where it lives and is listed globally as a vulnerable species. It was put on CITES Appendix II in 1977 to help control trade, and since August 2019, it has been included in CITES Appendix I, which gives it even stronger protection against international trade.

Cultural significance

Main article: Otter fishing

In southern Bangladesh, smooth-coated otters help people catch fish. These otters are raised in special places and taught to chase fish into nets. This way of fishing supports about 300 fishermen and helps around 2,000 more people who depend on it for work.