The hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana ) is a semiaquatic mammal endemic to Southeast Asia and one of the rarest and least known otter species. It is threatened by loss of natural resources and poaching.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Hairy-nosed otter is a semiaquatic mammal native to Southeast Asia and one of the rarest and least known otter species. It has a short brown fur that becomes paler on the belly. Its rhinarium (the tip of the snout) is covered with short hair. The upper lip and chin are whitish. Some individuals are reddish-chestnut in color. Its body is long, its tail slender, and its fully webbed paws have prominent claws.
Hairy-nosed otters occur in Southeast Asia from southern Thailand, Cambodia, southern Vietnam, and Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra and Borneo. They inhabit lowland flooded forests, peat swamp forests, mangroves, flooded grasslands, shallow coastal waters, rivers, and wetlands.
Hairy-nosed otters live in coastal areas and on larger inland rivers, solitary or in groups of up to 4 individuals. They are active during the day spending most of their time hunting their prey. During the dry season, they typically forage in drainage canals and ponds. The contact call between Hairy-nosed otters is a single-syllabic chirp. Adult females call to their pups with staccato chatter.
Hairy-nosed otters are carnivores (piscivores). Their diet includes fish, such as walking catfish, snakeheads, and climbing perch, and water snakes, mollusks, and crustaceans.
Not much is known about the breeding habits of Hairy-nosed otters. Populations in the Mekong Delta possibly breed in November and December, and in Cambodia between November and March. The gestation period lasts around 2 months and a family of both parents and pups were sighted between December and February.
The Hairy-nosed otter is the rarest otter in Asia, most likely verging on extinction in the northern parts of its range and of uncertain status elsewhere. The species is threatened by the loss of lowland wetland habitats, hunting for fur and meat, and accidental killing during fishing.
There is no overall population estimate available for the Hairy-nosed otter. However, there are estimates of its populations in U Minha National Park that includes around 50-230 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...