Hairy-nosed Otter

Taxobox
name = Hairy-nosed Otter


status = DD
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref = IUCN2007|assessors=Hussain|year=2004|id=12421|title=Lutra sumatrana|downloaded=06 May 2008 Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as data deficient]
trend = unknown


image_width = 250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Carnivora
familia = Mustelidae
subfamilia = Lutrinae
genus = "Lutra"
species = "L. sumatrana"
binomial = "Lutra sumatrana"

The hairy-nosed otter ("Lutra sumatrana") is one of the rarest otter species on earth, and was thought to be extinct in 1998 as there had been no sightings for many years, but a tiny number of populations have been rediscovered since then.

At present, it is believed to live mainly in two nature reserves in Vietnam, [U Minh Hai and Vo Doi: [http://www.iucnosg.org/Bulletin/Volume18/Nguyen_et_al_2001.html Nguyen, X.D., Pham, T.A. & Le, H.T. (2001) New Information about the Hairy-Nosed Otter ("Lutra sumatrana") in Vietnam. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 18(2): 64 - 75] ] Toa Daeng peat swamp forest in southern Thailand, [ [http://www.iucnosg.org/Bulletin/Volume18/Kanchanasaka_2001.html Kanchanasaka, B. K.(2001) Tracks and Other Signs of the Hairy-Nosed Otter ("Lutra sumatrana"). IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 18(2): 57 - 63] , and Lekakul, B., McNeely, J. 1977. Mammals of Thailand. Kurusaphra Press, Laprao, Thailand] and in Sumatra, the place for which it was named. It was rediscovered in 2005. [ [http://www.iucnosg.org/Bulletin/Volume22/Lubis_2005.html Lubis, R. (2005) First Recent Record of Hairy-Nosed Otter in Sumatra, Indonesia. IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull. 18(1): 14 - 20] ] It was also rediscovered in Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia. [Poole, C. M., 2003. The first records of Hairy-nosed Otter "Lutra sumatrana" from Cambodia with notes on the national status of three other otter species. Nat. Hist. Bull. Siam Soc. 51(2): 273–280] Even from these places, they are known from a tiny number of sightings and some roadkill, and from skins.

The most recent record of the species was on September 2008 in U Minh Ha National Park in southern Vietnam when researchers said they have found two hairy-nosed otters. [ [http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/080918/world/vietnam_environment_animal Rare otter species 'found in Vietnam'] Thu Sep 18 2008]

Notes