Smooth-coated Otter

The smooth-coated otter is a strongly built aquatic mustelid with short powerful legs, large fully webbed feet and prominent claws suited to handling slippery fish. Its sensitive whiskers detect disturbances in the water. The species is agile both while swimming and while moving on land (Animal Diversity Web; Singapore NParks species account).

Smooth-coated otters are social, with group members sharing vigilance. They hunt aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates and can be trained by fishers to herd fish toward nets. Their dependence on wetlands exposes them to habitat conversion, pollution and disturbance along waterways (Animal Diversity Web). It is Nationally Near Threatened (Thailand Red Data 2025).