Lutrogale perspicillata Gray 1865

• Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2009
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Carnivora; Mustelidae; Lutrogale; Lutrogale perspicillata; Fischotter; Loutre
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714125; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/038F87D4CA4BFFA3CFA4300BF823F936

38. Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata French: Loutre indienne / German: Indischer Fischotter / Spanish: Nutria lisa Taxonomy. Lutra perspicillata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826, Sumatra. Three subspecies are recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. L. p. perspicillata Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826 — SE Asia from India, S China, and Mainland SE Asia to Borneo, Sumatra, and E Java. L. p. maxwelli Hayman, 1957 — Iraq and possibly bordering Iran. L. p. sindica Pocock, 1940 — Afghanistan and Pakistan. Descriptive notes. Head-body 59-75 cm, tail 37-45 cm; weight 7-11 kg. A large otter, with a very smooth pelage, naked rhinarium, and fully clawed and webbed feet. The pelage ranges from reddish-brown to dark brown, with paler undersides. The upper lip, sides of face, throat, and upper chest are gray. The upper margin of the rhinarium is flat. The vibrissae are well-developed and the tail is flat dorso-ventrally. The large feet have webbing that extends to the secondjoint of each digit. There are two pairs of mammae. The skull is high and wide, with a broad rostrum. Dental formula: 13/3, C1/1,P4/3,M 1/2 = 36. Habitat. Smooth-coated Otters are found in inland and coastal wetlands, seasonally flooded swamps, mangroves, and along rivers and irrigation canals. They prefer waterways with banks that are rocky and well vegetated. Smooth-coated Otters are notrestricted to deep water and often forage in small, shallow rivers and seasonally flooded swamps during the monsoons (July-September) and early winter (October-February) in India and Nepal. They commonly inhabit rice fields adjacent to mangroves along coastal areas. In Malaysia, Smooth-coated Otters were found to be more abundant in mangroves. On Java, they are restricted to coastal wetlands. When occupying saltwater areas, Smooth-coated Otters require freshwater nearby. Food and Feeding. The diet is mainly fish, but may also include small mammals, invertebrates (insects, crabs, and crustaceans), frogs, snakes, and birds. Most fish consumed are 5-30 cm in length. In ...