Asian short-clawed otters - coming soon to WWT Washington!
There will be some furry new additions to the WWT Washington family later this year, when our Asian short-clawed otter enclosure opens to the public.
A small group of these incredibly cute animals are moving in around mid-summer and they will be ready to meet their adoring public in time for our Animal Magic event on Sunday 26 June.
The contractors working on the creation of this exciting new feature have been on site since the middle of March and are making incredible progress, as you can see from these ‘before’ and ‘this is what it looks like right now!’ shots.
We’ll keep updating the website with new images as and when things change. You can also track the developments - along with other WWT Washington news, events and wildlife sightings – by making friends with Floyd Flamingo on Facebook or following us on Twitter @WWTWashington.
Did you know?...
Coming soon to WWT Washington!
• Asian short-clawed otters are the smallest otters in the world and are a near threatened species.
• They are found in southern India, southern China, south-east Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The main threat to their survival is habitat destruction – loss of hill streams, swamps and mangroves.
• Asian short-clawed otters live in freshwater wetlands but spend more time on land than other otters. Their feet are narrow and have short blunt claws, which are not fully webbed. This gives them a great sense of touch and unlike other otters, they catch food in their paws and not their mouth.
• Their long streamlined body and strong muscular tail makes them agile swimmers. They have small ears and nostrils that can be closed and their dense fur is water repellent.
• Asian short-clawed otters feed on small crabs, molluscs and small fish. They have very fast metabolisms and eat little but often; taking only 1-2 hours to digest a meal.
• They are one of the few sociable otters and live in extended family groups. They often play games, which help young otters develop their hunting skills, and they communicate through at least 12 different calls.
