Asian small | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Small-clawed otters are an excellent biological indicator species, located at the top of the food chain and with a wide geographical distribution. They are highly sensitive to habitat disturbance — ranging from destruction to pollution — and their numbers give scientists an indication of the general health of their environment.

In the last 60 years, the range of the small-clawed otter has shrunk considerably, moving from west to east. The main potential threat to Asian small-clawed otters is destruction of habitats due to changing land use patterns and increased development. In many parts of Asia, the habitats have been reduced due to reclamation of peat swamp forests and mangroves, aquaculture activities along the inter-tidal wetlands and loss of hill streams. In India the primary reason for loss of habitats are tea and coffee plantation along the hills, as well as loss of mangroves in the coastal area...