Wildlifeof India
Smooth-coated Otter
Bears, Dogs, Otters & Red Panda
Photo: (c) Donald Davesne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Lutra perspicillata
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly fish; also shrimp, crabs, molluscs, birds, amphibians and rats
Habitat
Rivers, estuaries, wetlands, mangroves and rice fields
Litter size
Up to 5 pups, occasionally more
Gestation period
60–63 days
Size
Head and body 59–64cm; tail 37–43cm
Weight
7–11kg
The smooth-coated otter is a relatively large otter with a short, sleek coat, dark to reddish brown on the back and greyish brown below. Its head is rounder than other otters' and the hairless nose is roughly diamond-shaped. The tail is flattened rather than round, and the short, strong legs end in large, webbed feet with sharp claws for gripping slippery fish. It is native to South and Southeast Asia (Wikipedia, general species account).
It lives in groups of up to 11, resting on sandy banks and denning under tree roots or among boulders. It is active mostly by day. In the Zuari estuary's khazan lands in Goa, droppings show a diet of mostly fish, with more shrimp and crabs in the monsoon. Where breeding depends on monsoon rain, pups are born between October and February. Along the Chambal River the otters are most vulnerable in winter when rearing young, and trapping is widespread in India, Nepal and Bangladesh (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Smooth-coated Otter eat?
- Mainly fish; also shrimp, crabs, molluscs, birds, amphibians and rats
- What habitat does the Smooth-coated Otter live in?
- Rivers, estuaries, wetlands, mangroves and rice fields
- What is the litter size of the Smooth-coated Otter?
- Up to 5 pups, occasionally more
- How long is the gestation period of the Smooth-coated Otter?
- 60–63 days
- How big is the Smooth-coated Otter?
- Head and body 59–64cm; tail 37–43cm
- How much does the Smooth-coated Otter weigh?
- 7–11kg