Asian small-clawed otter, resident at Sea Life Benalmadena.
Credit: vladimircech – Freepik
Sea Life Benalmádena is celebrating the birth of otter quadruplets after success with their breeding programme.
Small-clawed Asian otter pups have just been born at the Sea Life centre in an unusual multiple birth. The family belong to a highly-protected breed and therefore this occurrence is important news on an international conservation scale.
Aquarists and biologists are keeping a close eye on the babies who are awaiting their baptism, and hoping to determine their sex, weight and length in the next few days. But they are said to be active and in good condition. Mum and dad, Kira and Leo, are so protective of their pups that experts at the centre cannot get near the babies to check them.
Smallest otter breed listed as vulnerable .
With a total body length of 73 to 96 cm, and a maximum weight of 5 kg, it is the smallest otter species in the world. The Asian small-clawed otter lives in riverine habitats, freshwater wetlands and mangrove swamps. It feeds on molluscs, crabs and other small aquatic animals. It lives in pairs, but has been also observed in family groups with up to 12 individuals.
It is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and is threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and in some areas also from hunting.
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