Asian small-clawed otters are brown with paler underparts and sometimes white markings on the face, throat, and chest. Their feet are narrow and webbed only to the last toe joint. Their claws are small and peglike and do not extend beyond the digital pads. Their underfur is dense, and the long guard hairs are water-repellent. They have a number of stiff whiskers around their nose and snout. They have tufts on the elbows. These hairs are sensitive to water movement and are used in searching for prey. Their small ears are round and, like the nostrils, closed when underwater. Their tail is tapered and flattened on the underside.They are the smallest otters in the world.

Asian small-clawed otters are threatened by destruction of their habitats due to deforestation, settlement, agriculture, the draining of peat swamp forests, and the destruction of coastal mangroves for aquaculture.

• Otters are considered an indicator species that do not survive in polluted habitat, often due to loss of prey species. Listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) due to inferred population decline due to habitat loss and exploitation.
• CZS Conservation - Species Survival Plan
• IUCN Otter Specialist Group
• The Ramsar Convention

Help with the care of an Asian Smalled-Clawed Otter through our Share the Care program.