Check out Australia Zoo’s Small-clawed Otter!

Our adorable small-clawed otters can be spotted all day long, playing and exploring their you-beaut home, right here at Australia Zoo.  Although the small-clawed otter is the world’s smallest of the 13 otter species, they have big personalities and an even bigger appetite.  They eat one third of their body weight every single day!

Small-clawed otters are part of the Mustelid family, along with ferrets, weasels, badgers, skunks and minks.  They can be distinguished from other otter species by their small stature and claws.  The small-clawed, as the name suggests, have tiny claws that do not protrude beyond the end of their fingers.  With the help of their sharp upper teeth, otters can easily feed on shelled animals like crabs and snails.  Anything from fish to rodents may be on the menu for these impressive hunters!  Their small head, short legs and flattened tail create a streamlined silhouette, designed to aid efficient movement through the water.

Although otters have been on the planet for more than 30 million years, they are sadly a vulnerable species due to the increasing threat of habitat destruction, waterway pollution and the fur trade.