Asian Small-Clawed Otters - Disney Animals

Adorable, playful and all-around awesome, the Asian small-clawed otter is the smallest of all otters. You can see our amazing Asian small-clawed otters on Discovery Island Trails in Disney's Animal Kingdom park.

Asian Small-Clawed Otters in the Wild
Asian small-clawed otters are found in southeast Asia throughout Indonesia, Philippines, southern India and China. This species lives in shallow freshwater habitats, near the edges of rivers, creeks, estuaries, wetlands and coastal waters. They have an acute sense of smell and communicate throughout their territory by rubbing their scent glands against trees, rocks and stumps.

Disney’s animal care experts recreate the freshwater habitats of Asian small-clawed otters based on their natural history.

Fish Popsicles
Enrichment is an important element of animal care at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. Our goal is to provide opportunities for the otters to display natural behaviors like climbing, resting and exploring while stimulating the otters both physically and mentally. To encourage the use of their nimble paws, our otters are given mussels and clams to pry open. Other tasty treats include fish popsicles, fish frozen in a thick layer of ice, as a refreshing summertime snack.

Land Lubbers
Contrary to popular belief, not all otters spend most of their time in water. Asian small-clawed otters prefer to spend the majority of their time on land—climbing, hunting, playing and resting among rocks and burrows. Rocks and logs provide a great place to explore and climb, and they also serve as natural rubbing, scratching and scent-marking stations.

Naturally Talented
Through positive training techniques, our Asian small-clawed otters learn to participate in their own medical care. Responding to the cue of an animal care expert, the otters present their hands and feet or open their mouths for dental check-ups.

The Walt Disney Company is passionately committed to the protection of Asian small-clawed otters and their natural habitats.

Threats to Asian Small-Clawed Otters
Habitat loss and pollution are shrinking the home of the Asian small-clawed otter.

Hazardous Habitats
Throughout Asia, deforestation and contamination have decreased the amounts of peat swamp forests and streams, the natural habitats of Asian small-clawed otters. In addition, pesticides and other chemicals in water runoff can contaminate habitats downstream, making these environments unfit for otters. To compensate, otters often move into the shallow waters of rice fields where they eat crop pests such as crawfish, crabs and snails. Although they’re helping local farmers, their proximity to human civilization can cause otters to run into trouble with domestic animals and the diseases these animals may carry.

Helping Asian Wildlife
Many Asian animals, including Asian small-clawed otters, are threatened by habitat destruction and human activities. The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) has supported projects throughout Asia for more than 20 years to protect its amazing wildlife, such as tigers, gibbons and migratory birds.