Asian small-clawed otter (photo)

In 2011, the National Zoo welcomed Mac and Smidge, its first breeding pair of Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinerea), to the Asia Trail exhibit. When these animals have pups, the entire family pitches in to raise the young. Zoo visitors can expect to see Mac and Smidge teach their offspring what otters do best, such as swimming, foraging for bugs and nesting materials, catching fish, playing, and basking in the sun. Native to Indonesia, southern China, southern India, and the Philippines, this species is the smallest and most social of the 13 species of otters. They are vulnerable to extinction.