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  • Night Safari
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  • Small-clawed Otter

Small-clawed Otter

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Quick facts

Lifespan

LifespanUp to 16 years under human care

Diet

DietCrustaceans, mollusks, small fish, insects, rodents, reptiles and frogs

Habitat

HabitatFreshwater wetlands and coastlines

Range

RangeFrom India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China

The small-clawed Otter

Asian small-clawed otter

You ‘otter' be here!

Our otters’ two-tiered exhibit is spread across an outdoor upper deck and an indoor viewing gallery. The terrain of the top tier is rocky — they build their dens and nest chambers beneath the boulders.

Here, you’ll see them doing their laps in the stream, engaged in a game of tag or playing ‘juggle-the-pebble’. To view their underwater acrobatics, follow the footpath to the lower exhibit. Zoom in on their tiny ears and nostrils — the otters can close them while they swim.

Asian small-clawed otter

Layering for warmth

At the underwater viewing gallery, you’d probably get close enough to note the otters’ thick fur coat. What you see is their outer layer of long guard hairs, coated with oil to repel water. Only this layer gets wet when the otters take a dive. A layer of fine, tightly-packed underfur stays dry.

Air pockets within their coat keep the otters insulated while they swim. It’s important to regularly reintroduce air into their coats, which is why you’d often see them grooming themselves.

Asian small-clawed otter

Nimble paws and action

True to their name, these otters’ claws do not grow past their digital pads. They have partially webbed paws, which means they’re far more dexterous than otters with fully-webbed ones.

Using their forepaws rather than their mouth, they dig for shellfish like clams, mussels and their favourite crabs on the sandy shoreline. Their sharp teeth are well-adapted to the task of crushing shells. Alternatively, they bring catch like clams on land, leaving them to open in the sun.

Asian small-clawed otters

Passing on information

With a vocabulary of 12 different calls, these otters can be a noisy bunch. The calls are used for contact, summons, greeting, threat and alarm. Scent markings are just as important for communication.

Otters emit a musky smell from paired scent glands at the base of the tail that helps mark their territory. The scent also gives chemical cues as to identity, sex and reproductive state. If you were wondering about the smell at the exhibit, this probably explains!

Together, we protect wildlife

About 80% of carelessly-disposed land waste ends up in our waterways and become a threat to wildlife. In the “Free Aquarius” operation, MWR vets rescued a wild smooth-coated otter pup injured by an ‘O’ ring coiled around her body.

Let’s help the otters and other aquatic creatures by reducing waste generated from single-use plastics. Refill your bottle at water dispensers in our parks. Help spread the message to promote a litter-free environment.

The IUCN Status

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

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Awards & Accolades

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