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Explore the Freshwater Otters of Asia
Trek through the tropical forests of Asia and encounter the creatures that call these lush
habitats home. Exotic frogs, Malayan box turtles,
freshwater fishes, vine snakes and four species
of freshwater otters—including
Asian small-clawed otters—inhabit mystical rivers, streams and lakes throughout Asia.
Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest and most vocal of all 13 otter species. Their partial webbed paws and less-streamlined bodies make them less efficient swimmers compared to other otters.
Wild About Otters features four Asian small-clawed otters, which are also the most terrestrial of all otter species in
the world. Although freshwater rivers, streams, creeks and swamps are where this weasel relative resides, they are equally
adept at moving on land, and often travel—and hunt—in packs.
In Wild About Otters, you'll meet two sets of Asian small-clawed brothers—Satu and Dua, and Tiga and Empat.
All four males came to the aquarium from the Singapore Zoo, as part of the
Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, a cooperative effort to ensure the survival of threatened and endangered wildlife.
When living in Singapore, these boys shared a multi-species exhibit where they did everything together—including taking down
a wild adult python that crawled into their exhibit! This pack behavior is not uncommon when hunting prey and
is also smart protection from predators in the wild.
Listen: Otter Brothers
These very vocal otters emit a dozen or more calls, each with its own distinct meaning.
Watch: Exhibit Otters
Watch these otters as they play on logs, soak in a stream and dive in for a quick dip.
The Eurasian river otter, smooth-coated otter and hairy-nosed otter share the small-clawed otter's lush freshwater habitats in
Asia and eat many of the same foods. The former two species look much like the small-clawed otter, unlike the hairy-nosed otter—which
has a unique appearance with its hairy nose, reddish coat, white throat and bunny-like eyes. Read on to learn more about the similarities and
differences among these four amazing Asian otters!
Eurasian river otter
The Eurasian river otter is a nocturnal species that tends to live alone except when breeding or raising pups.
Just like their small-clawed relatives, the Eurasian otters love to communicate with each other—emitting
bird-like twittering and whistling sounds.
Asian smooth-coated otter
The smooth-coated and small-clawed otters are much more gregarious than their Eurasian relatives.
Both species are unusually social, living in family groups and creating strong monogamous bonds
for life. The two species share a similar diet of fishes, frogs, crayfish and crabs except the smooth-coated
otter eats the occasional aquatic bird. These otters have the unique ability to completely close
their ears and nostrils when diving.
Asian hairy-nosed otter
Little is known about the hairy-nosed otter—and for a good reason! This otter was thought to have gone extinct in
1998, but fortunately a small group was found in 2006. The hairy-nosed is the rarest of all four Asian otter species.
Because there is so little information about this species, it's classified as a species of "Concern," which means
there's not enough data to determine if the population is in grave danger.
The Asian small-clawed and Eurasian river otters are both classified as "Threatened" species. This means that they face
a high risk of extinction in the wild. The smooth-coated otter is classified as a "Vulnerable" species, which means that its numbers
in the wild are on a downward trend.
The situation for all three of these species is becoming increasingly grave.
Water pollution, habitat destruction and hunting are drastically decreasing the otters' population. Sewage and PCBs leak into
bodies of water, killing otters and the fish they depend on for food. Clearcutting of rainforests for houses and
agricultural purposes are leaving otters homeless. Some people still hunt otters for bushmeat, and otters are sometimes killed by
fisherman who see the animals as competition for their livelihood.
Polluted Asian rivers, like this in Guadalupe, The Philippines, threaten otters.
These very vocal otters emit a dozen or more calls, each with its own distinct meaning. 
