Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Asian small-clawed otters are very social and intelligent animals, living in family groups of around 15 members. These groups are led by a dominant mated pair and their offspring across various litters. Family groups break apart if they become too large or one of the leaders dies – in this case, family members will leave and attempt to form new breeding groups with other unrelated individuals. When the dominant female of a group is in oestrus, she and the dominant male spend bonding time playing and nuzzling. The pair mates several times over the female’s fertile period, where copulation can be initiated by either the male or female, and lasts between 5 to 25 minutes. Pregnancies in Asian small-clawed otters last for a period of 68 to 74 days, after which the female gives birth to a litter of between 1 and 6 pups, with an average litter size of 2. The pups are born blind and open their eyes after 1 to 1.5 months after birth, which is also when they will begin moving around independently. They will usually leave the den and have their first swim at around 2 months old. Weaning begins at 4 months old, though pups may already begin consuming solid food 1 to 2 months prior, and is usually complete by 8 months old. Asian small-clawed otters reach sexual maturity at 1.5 to 2 years old but remain with the family group without breeding. Instead, older pups help raising their siblings. New families are formed with unrelated individuals when existing family groups split up due to size or death of one of the leaders.

Asian small-clawed otters are very social and intelligent animals, living in family groups of around 15 members. These groups are led by a dominant mated pair and their offspring across various litters. Family groups break apart if they become too large or one of the leaders dies – in this case, family members will leave and attempt to form new breeding groups with other unrelated individuals. When the dominant female of a group is in oestrus, she and the dominant male spend bonding time playing and nuzzling. The pair mates several times over the female’s fertile period, where copulation can be initiated by either the male or female, and lasts between 5 to 25 minutes. Pregnancies in Asian small-clawed otters last for a period of 68 to 74 days, after which the female gives birth to a litter of between 1 and 6 pups, with an average litter size of 2. The pups are born blind and open their eyes after 1 to 1.5 months after birth, which is also when they will begin moving around independently. They will usually leave the den and have their first swim at around 2 months old. Weaning begins at 4 months old, though pups may already begin consuming solid food 1 to 2 months prior, and is usually complete by 8 months old. Asian small-clawed otters reach sexual maturity at 1.5 to 2 years old but remain with the family group without breeding. Instead, older pups help raising their siblings. New families are formed with unrelated individuals when existing family groups split up due to size or death of one of the leaders.