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Lutrogale

Explorer · ages 7 and underAdapted from Wikipedia
A smooth-coated otter from the Kabini river, showing its sleek fur and playful nature in its natural habitat.

Lutrogale

Lutrogale is a special name given to a group of otters. A scientist named John Edward Gray created this name in 1865. He chose the smooth-coated otter as the main example. This otter has a rounded forehead and nose.

Besides the smooth-coated otter, called L. perspicillata, this group also had some very old otters that are no longer alive today. We know about them from fossils. One of these old otters is called the Cretan otter. Fossils help scientists learn how otters changed and grew over many years.

Pictures

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Keep exploring

Smooth-coated otter

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Lutrogale, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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