Smooth-coated Otter
Lutrogale perspicillata
Summary 3
The smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) is a species of otter, the only extant representative of the genus Lutrogale. The species is found in most of the Indian Subcontinent and eastwards to Southeast Asia, with a disjunct population in Iraq. As its name indicates, the fur of this species is smoother and shorter than that of other otters.
Description 4
This is the largest otter in Asia, and like all otters it has a long, thick body, short legs, and webbed feet with sharp claws. The neck is as wide as the body and head. The ears are set low on the domed head, but the small, round eyes are set high up and wide apart. The muzzle is short and covered in thick whiskers. The fur is thick and velvety with two layers; the guard fur keeps the underfur dry underwater to retain body heat. To help with swimming, the smooth-coated otter's front legs are shorter than the back legs and it has a thick, conical tail that is more flattened than other otters, particularly at the end. Males are larger than females (2).
Habitat 5
Smooth-coated otters are mostly found in lowlands, coastal mangrove forests, peat swamp forests, freshwater wetlands, large forested rivers, lakes, and rice paddies. Although adapted for water, smooth-coated otters are equally comfortable on land and can travel long distances overland in search of suitable habitat. They shelter in shallow burrows and piles of rocks or driftwood. Some build permanent burrows near water with an underwater entrance and a tunnel that leads to a chamber above the high-water line, much like American beaver. In Malaysia smooth-coated otters are more abundant in mangrove forests than in river systems.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams; temporary pools
Wetlands: swamp
Other Habitat Features: riparian
Fuentes y créditos
- (c) Ria Tan, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/6835804158/
- (c) Ria Tan, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildsingapore/5293355252/
- Adaptado por Brian Martin del trabajo de (c) Wikipedia, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutrogale_perspicillata
- (c) Wildscreen, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/2607551
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, algunos derechos reservados (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18655886
