Native to South and South-east Asia, the Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) has claws not extending beyond the fleshy end pads of its partially webbed digits. The smallest otter species in the world, it is also known as the oriental small-clawed otter and the short-clawed otter. Asian small-clawed otters mainly eat crabs and shellfish, but they will also eat molluscs such as snails, small fish and insects, and occasionally amphibians, snakes and small mammals. It is found across a wide area, in areas of India, Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Taiwan and southern China. They live in a variety of wetland habitats, such as lakes, streams and rivers, coastal wetlands, marshes, mangroves and rice fields.
