Oriental Small-clawed Otter (Aonyx cinerea) is a small sized carnivore. Its throat is light whitish or grayish, sharply separated from color of upper side, blending steadily into chest color. The claws, except in small cubs, are minute, erect spikes, not projecting beyond the end of the digital pads. The tail is little longer than the length of the head and body. The dorsal surface is dark brown in color. The edge of the upper lip, chin, cheek, side of the neck, and throat are gray or nearly white.
The head and body length is around 420 to 540 mm. Tail is about 233 to 330 mm, and weight ranges between 2 to 6 kg. The Otters live individually and in groups ranging from two to eight.
The animal is distributed in the foothills Himalayas, north-eastern states, plains of Assam and West Bengal and hill ranges of Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu.
