Melting the heart with the extremely cute otter of Vietnam

Silky otter is a super adorable wild animal of Vietnam. Unfortunately, their numbers are severely reduced.

With super cute looks, silky otters are animals that can melt the hearts of wild animal lovers.Photo taken at Thao Cam Vien Saigon.

This is an animal of the weasel family , Lutrogale perspicillata , which has a wide distribution area in Vietnam.They have been recorded in Quang Ninh, Dak Lak, Lam Dong .

Smooth hairy otters have long flexible bodies.The muzzle is slightly flat, the head is relatively round.Membrane swimming bare skin covered the fingers.Long, sharp claws.The ears are larger than regular otter ears, round ears, with ear covers.The coat is gray to brown, almost like an otter, but the hair is long and smooth.

The upper lip, cheeks, throat and neck of this animal are milky white, pulling to the chest.Belly hair is lighter on the back.Other outstanding features with other otter species are the tails flattened out on both sides of the paddle shape.

The life of the smooth-haired otter is associated with water bodies such as coast, rivers, streams, food mainly fish, then to other species such as crabs, snails, frogs, amphibians . When swimming their feet are close to the body, using their tails to swim like a paddle.

Smooth hairy otters burrow into nests in tree hollows and rock holes.They operate all night and day, live in groups, each group of 3-5 children;At feeding time, it can gather into 7 - 10 large groups.

The reproductive behavior of this animal has not been studied in detail.Their gestation period is determined about 63 days, each spawning 2-3 children.The newborn is weak and has not opened his eyes.

This is a very clever animal, likes to climb, run, swim and play with its kind.

Previously, the hairy otters had quite a large number of populations in Vietnam, but now due to hunting and environment, the habitat is degraded so the distribution area is narrowed and the number of degradation is serious.

Silky otters have been included in the Vietnam Red Book, belonging to the IB group - prohibiting all activities of hunting, trading and destroying and polluting the water environment where this species lives.