Where are they found?
They are generally found from the north west of India to the south east of China but can be also found in the Malay Peninsula and southern India. They live near rivers, creeks, estuaries and coastal waters.

What are they?
They are aquatic mammals.

What do they look like?
When they grow up river Otters will measure 2.5 ft. from the tips of their noses to the ends of their tails. The tail is 10-14 inches long. They weigh 2-11 pounds. The Otters are brown, but paler underneath, and sometimes have white markings on the face, throat, and chest. The adults have claws that are only tiny spikes. These do not project beyond the ends of their pads.

How long do they live?
The life span is about 21 years in captivity, less in the wild.

What do they eat? Otters are carnivorous. Their diet consists mainly of crabs, other crustaceans, molluscs and frogs. Fish are a relatively unimportant part of their diet. Breeding These Otters may produce 2 litters annually. The gestation is 60-64 days, and litters contain 1-6 young, but usually only 1 or 2 survive. They live in loose family groups of up to 12 individuals and have a vocabulary of up to 12 calls.

Are they rare?
Asian short clawed otters are not in any danger of becoming extinct.

Did you know?
These otters have sensitive and dextrous forepaws which help locate prey in mud or under stones.

They have relatively large, broad cheek teeth, apparently for purposes of crushing the shells of crabs and molluscs.