Smooth Otter Report
INTRODUCTION
Otters belonging to the order Carnivora of class Mammalia, are semi-aquatic members of the family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, martens, polecats, badgers, skunks, grisons and minks. Otters are placed in the sub-family Lutrinae (Khan W. A. et al.,2010). Genus Lutrogale ;Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) (Ogamba E.N. & Abowei J.F.N.,2012) ( Figure 1) .The smooth otter is the largest otter in Southeast Asia that comment otter. It was named for its shorter, smoother coat than that of other otters with appears velvety and shiny. This otter is monogamous and usually seen – round in small family groups of 4-6 members comprising a pair and their offspring from breeding seasons. It has a more rounded heads and a hairless nose compared to other otters. It also has a tail that is more flattened, in contrast to the more rounded tails of other species and measures 60% of its body length.
Otters dependent on the monsoon rains breed between August and December. Gestation period is 61-65 days. They give birth to 2 to 5 cuns per litter. The young are born and raised in burrow near the water. Smooth Otters may hunt as a team either at night or in the daytime. They capture their prey with mouth, but their strong, webbed feet with sharp claws are dexterous enough to retrieve and manipulate objects. Their food likes fish, frog, prawn and crab.
Besides, smooth-coated otter are excellent aquatic adaptation. It is possible to introduce to each other at all age; it is infinitely more successful when the otters are young (IUCN/SSC, 2008). Hartley R., 2011 had mentioned that as a social animal, the smooth-coated otter lives in family groups consisting of a male, dominant female and cubs. They are a proficient and ready swimmer. Besides, they also have the usual humped otter gait on the land, and can move quite rapidly .It is possible that there are no smooth otters currently in captivity in zoos likes in Zoo Taiping or wildlife parks.
Otters belonging to the order Carnivora of class Mammalia, are semi-aquatic members of the family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, martens, polecats, badgers, skunks, grisons and minks. Otters are placed in the sub-family Lutrinae (Khan W. A. et al.,2010). Genus Lutrogale ;Smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) (Ogamba E.N. & Abowei J.F.N.,2012) ( Figure 1) .The smooth otter is the largest otter in Southeast Asia that comment otter. It was named for its shorter, smoother coat than that of other otters with appears velvety and shiny. This otter is monogamous and usually seen – round in small family groups of 4-6 members comprising a pair and their offspring from breeding seasons. It has a more rounded heads and a hairless nose compared to other otters. It also has a tail that is more flattened, in contrast to the more rounded tails of other species and measures 60% of its body length.
Otters dependent on the monsoon rains breed between August and December. Gestation period is 61-65 days. They give birth to 2 to 5 cuns per litter. The young are born and raised in burrow near the water. Smooth Otters may hunt as a team either at night or in the daytime. They capture their prey with mouth, but their strong, webbed feet with sharp claws are dexterous enough to retrieve and manipulate objects. Their food likes fish, frog, prawn and crab.
Besides, smooth-coated otter are excellent aquatic adaptation. It is possible to introduce to each other at all age; it is infinitely more successful when the otters are young (IUCN/SSC, 2008). Hartley R., 2011 had mentioned that as a social animal, the smooth-coated otter lives in family groups consisting of a male, dominant female and cubs. They are a proficient and ready swimmer. Besides, they also have the usual humped otter gait on the land, and can move quite rapidly .It is possible that there are no smooth otters currently in captivity in zoos likes in Zoo Taiping or wildlife parks.
References: Asghar Nawab & Syed Ainul Hussain, (2012), Prey selection by smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in response to the variation in fish abundance in Upper Gangetic Plains, India Feeroz M.M., Aziz M.A & Thanchanga P.K, (2011) Ferti D., Jackson M. & Yin S., (1994). Otters In Galveston Bay Waters. Galveston Bay Foundation. Vol.6, Number 3. Goldthorpe, G., Shepherd, C., Hogg, S. and Leupen B., (2010). Predation of water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) by smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) in Peninsular Malaysia. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 27 (2): 78 - 84 Hartley R., (2011) Khan W. A. et al.(2009). A SURVEY OF SMOOTH COATED OTTERS (Lutrogale perspicillata sindica) IN THE SINDH PROVINCE OF PAKISTAN. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 26(1) 2009 Kuhn, Rachel A Lariviere S. & Hwang Y. T.,(2005). Mammalian Species : Lutrogale perspicillata. American Society of Mammalogists Muhammad Rais et al.,(2009) Pillay R.,(2009). Observations of small carnivores in the southern Western Ghats, India. Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 40: 36–40, April Saunders D Shenoy K.,( 2003). `Against the Current` :Otters in the River Cauvery, Karnataka, Occasional Report No.11.Otter Research Group Japan. Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi. Pp Shenoy K., Varma S Singh A. K. , (2011), Smooth Coated Otters of Cauvery River : “ Ambassadors of wetlands Ecology, Behaviour and Conservation”. http://mmhillswildlife.blogspot.com/p/cauvery-otter.html Smith J Wright L.C.,(2010). Locomotion of the smooth–coated otter. http://www.otterjoy.com/otterinfo/lutrogale/perspicillata/perspicillata_locomotion.html -----------------------