FOOD AND HABITAT OF ASIAN SMALL-CLAWED OTTERS IN

ABSTRACT: We established the existence of Asian small-clawed otters, Aonyx cinereus, in northeastern Cambodia. The study was conducted between May to June 2009, at two fresh water streams located on the border between Stung Treng and Ratanakiri province, northeastern Cambodia. Asian small-clawed otters ’ main habitat appears to be small fresh streams surrounded by evergreen-forest, secondary-forest or abandoned farmland, with shoreline vegetation (grass 20%, rock 20%, sand 20%, and soil 40%), where it is rich in food sources, especially crabs. Asian small-clawed otters prefer to produce their sprainting sites under canopy cover rather than the open sky, and situated their spraint an average of 1.78 m from water. This species seems to produce their sprainting sites in large piles (33.11 cm average in width and 43.52 cm in length), which consisted of crabs 85%, and fish 10%, unidentifiable debris 5%. Hunting for meat, traditional medicine, and skins for trade as well as habitat disturbance and over fishing are the main threats to the population of Asian small-clawed otter in the study area