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| vertebrates text index | photo index |
| Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrata > Class Mammalia |
| Smooth
otter Lutrogale perspicillata Family Mustelidae updated Oct 09 Where seen? This delightful creature is more common that we might imagine. Smooth otters are often sighted in our mangroves, mudflats and coastal areas. Such as at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Pasir Ris, Pulau Ubin as well as Changi. According to Baker, in Singapore, they are also reported from the Western Catchment Area. It was previously known as Lutra perspicillata. Acccording to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, The first record of the Smooth otter was of a male, collected in 1938 from Lazarus Island. The second otter sighting was recorded at Sungei Buloh in 1990. According to Davison, the local population may not be strictly resident as they travel easily between Johor and Singapore across the Johor Straits. |
 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Aug 09 Photo shared by Brandon Chia on his flickr.  Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, May 03 |
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Features: Head and body to 75cm, tail to 45cm. Long
body and a long tail, covered in short sleek fur. It has short limbs
with webbed 'fingers' and prominent claws. The upperparts are greyish
brown and the underside is buffy. Smooth otters are generally social and live in pairs or family groups of parents and their young. They are active both during the day and at night. What does it eat? It eats mainly fish, but also turtles, crustaceans and clams and snails. Otter babies: Babies are born in a litter of 1-2, in a den dun in the river bank. The young stay with the parents in a family group for some time. Status and threats: The Smooth otter is listed as 'Critically Endangered' in the Red List of threatened animals of Singapore. |
 Changi, May 09  Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Mar 10 |
 Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Mar 10 |
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| Smooth otter
at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve seen in Jun 08. Shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his blog. |
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Links
References
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Vertebrate Study Group, Nature Society (Singapore). 180 pp.
New Holland Publishers. 128 pp.|
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