Lutrogale perspicillata
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata) is a freshwater otter species from regions of South and Southeast Asia, with a disjunct population in Iraq, with the majority of its numbers found in Southeast Asia. It has been ranked as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996, as it is threatened by habitat loss, pollution of wetlands and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade. As the common name indicates, its fur is relatively smooth, and somewhat shorter in length than that of other otter species.
The smooth-coated otter has a short, sleek coat of dark-brown to reddish-brown fur along its back, with lighter grayish brown on its underside. It is distinguished from other otter species by a more "rounded" head, and by having a vaguely diamond-shaped, hairless nose. The tail is flattened, in contrast to the more rounded or cylindrical tails of other otters. The legs are short and strong, with large, webbed feet bearing strong and sharp claws for handling slippery fish. The smooth-coated otter is a relatively large otter species, weighing from 7–11 kg (15–24 lb) and measuring around 59–64 cm (23–25 in) in head-body length with a 37–43 cm (15–17 in) long tail. Females... Wikipedia →
Recording0:21
Singapore · 2025
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Singapore · 2025
© paptapper · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Singapore · 2022
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Royal Bardia National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 3 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 5 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Arignar Anna Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Nandanvan Jungle Safari | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | |
| 6 | Planète Sauvage | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 9 | Thiruvananthapuram Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Touroparc Zoo | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 11 | Farm in the City | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 12 | Nakhon Pathom Municipality Zoo | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 13 | Koh Kong Safari World | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | |
| 14 | The Green Connection | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Likely
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Smooth Coated Otter sighting in Kaziranga National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 16 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May and November
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Smooth Coated Otter in Kaziranga National Park on a given day, against about 10% in December to February, the lowest months. June to September have too few records to rate.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Smooth Coated Otter sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Smooth Coated Otter sightings, Kaziranga National Park has the highest daily chance: about 60%. Next come Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal, about 40%) and Nagarhole National Park (India, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Smooth Coated Otter is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kaziranga National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
