Amblonyx cinereus
Aonyx cinereus
Amblonyx cinereaThe Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea), also known as Asian Small-clawed Otter, is the smallest otter species in the world, weighing less than 5&_160;kg. It lives in mangrove swamps and freshwater wetlands of Bangladesh, Burma, India, southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.[1] This otter is distinctive for its forepaws, as the claws do not extend above the fleshy end pads of its toes and fingers. These attributes give it a high degree of manual dexterity in using its paws to feed on molluscs, crabs and other small aquatic animals.
The Oriental Small-clawed Otter lives in extended family groups with only the alpha pair breeding and previous offspring helping to raise the young. Due to ongoing habitat loss, pollution and hunting in some areas, the Oriental small-clawed otter is evaluated as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.[2]
This species was formerly thought to be the only member of the genus Amblonyx[1]; however, it has recently been confirmed as Aonyx after mitochondrial DNA analysis.[3] Another synonym for the Oriental small-clawed otter is Aonyx cinereus.[4]
