Hairy-Nosed Otter
The hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatra) 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.
| KINGDOM | Animalia |
| PHYLUM | Chordata |
| SUBPHYLUM | Vertebrata |
| CLASS | Mammalia |
| ORDER | Carnivora |
| SUBORDER | Caniformia |
| FAMILY | Mustelidae |
| GENUS | Lutra |
| SPECIES | Lutra sumatrana |
| POPULATION SIZE | UNKNOWN |
| WEIGHT | 5-8 KG |
| LIFE SPAN | 10 YRS |
| LENGTH | 57-83 CM |
Appearance
The Hairy-nosed otter is a semiaquatic mammal native to Southeast Asia and one of the rarest and least known otter species. It has 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 colour. Its body is long, it’s tail slender, and its fully webbed paws have prominent claws.
Distribution
Geography
| CONTINENTS | Asia |
| SUBCONTINENTS | Southeast Asia |
| COUNTRIES | Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Brunei, Laos |
| BIOGEOGRAPHICAL REALMS | Indomalayan |
| WWF BIOMES | Flooded grasslands and savannas , Mangrove, Tropical moist forests |
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.
Biome
| Rivers | Lakes |
| Wetlands | Estuaries |
| Intertidal zone | Freshwater |
| Forest | Grassland |
| Neritic zone | Shrubland |
| Coastal | Anthropogenic biome |
| Marine |
| Climate zones | Tropical |
Habits and Lifestyle
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.
GROUP NAME:romp, bevy, family, raft, pod
LIFESTYLE: Semiaquatic, Predator, Terrestrial,
SEASONAL BEHAVIOR: Not a migrant
Diet and Nutrition
Hairy-nosed otters are carnivores (piscivores). Their diet includes fish, such as walking catfish, snakeheads, and climbing perch, and water snakes, mollusks, and crustaceans.
