ASIAN BABY OTTER-PRESLATKI, happy, happy kids.
I'd like to have them, see blog.
Asian short-clawed otters are known as the smallest of the 13 otter species, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park website. They live mainly in Southeast Asia.
In addition to the four newborns, there are six Asian short-clawed otters at the Fukuoka City Zoological Garden. The four babies will be made available for viewing every week between Thursday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
With enough squealing and screeching to rival any baby subjected to a cold stethoscope and a vaccination, Perth Zoo’s newest otter pups passed their health check with flying colours this morning.
The 12-week-old pups — two boys and two girls — weighed in at between 550g and 780g each after a few weeks of trying their hand at solid foods such as fish and crustaceans.
Otters are born with their eyes closed and it is only after about 40 days they begin to open them for the first time. The cub initially relied entirely on its mum’s milk, which has six times more fat than cow’s milk.
Cubs usually start appearing outside the holt at around seven weeks and the mother starts teaching them how to swim two to five weeks later.
“They also help by bringing back nest material and ensuring that the area remains clean and tidy.
“As the cub develops it becomes more confident and independent and becomes to explore its surroundings.
“The baby is doing really well and growing fast, however we do not like to disturb them too much at this relatively early stage so we are still not sure whether it’s a boy or a girl.”
Asian short claw otters are found throughout southern Asia including India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Unlike most otters, their front feet are only partly webbed and have short claws used for digging under rocks and in the mud.
Otters mate for life, with the female being the dominant partner. The life expectancy of Asian short claw otters in the wild is unknown, however in captivity they can live to at least 12, with some animals living beyond their 20th birthdays.
Their have been plenty of new arrivals in the area recently, with Chester Zoo welcoming a baby black rhino, Rothschild giraffe and a trio of tiger cubs in recent weeks.
