Asian Small-clawed Otter: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Otters and Weasels · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Meet the smallest otter in the world. Even a big one weighs no more than 3.5 kg.
2. True to its name, its claws are tiny and do not reach past the pads of its webbed toes. Some of these otters have no claws at all.
3. Clever cooks: otters in captivity have been seen leaving shellfish in the sun until the heat pops them open, so no shell cracking is needed.
4. These otters are chatty, with 12 or more different calls. When one is disturbed, it screams to bring the rest of the group to help.
5. About two weeks before the pups arrive, mother and father team up to carry grass, hay or straw into the den and build a nest.

The quiz

1. What record does the Asian small-clawed otter hold?

• Largest otter in the world
• Smallest otter species (correct)
• Deepest-diving otter
• Only otter living in deserts

Weighing at most 3.5 kg, it is the smallest otter.

2. What are its claws like?

• Very long and hooked
• Sharp spikes for climbing ice
• Longer than its toes
• Short, not reaching past the toe pads (correct)

Its short claws stay behind the pads, and some otters have none.

3. What have captive otters been seen doing with shellfish?

• Leaving them in the sun until they open (correct)
• Burying them for months
• Using them as toys only
• Throwing them back in the water

The sun's heat opens the shells, so the otters do not have to crush them.

4. What does a disturbed small-clawed otter do?

• Plays dead
• Freezes in total silence
• Screams to call the group (correct)
• Hides in a tree

It screams so the others come to help.

5. Who builds the nest before the pups are born?

• Only the mother
• Both the mother and the father (correct)
• Older brothers and sisters
• Nobody, pups are born in the open

Both parents gather grass, hay or straw for the nest.

More about the Asian Small-clawed Otter

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries