{"id":631,"date":"2021-05-08T10:58:20","date_gmt":"2021-05-08T10:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/picmybug.com\/?p=631"},"modified":"2021-05-30T02:56:17","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T02:56:17","slug":"lutrogale-perspicillata-ottercity-%c9%92%cb%88t%c9%9c%cb%90r%c9%99sit-ee-the-ability-to-make-a-fresh-start-when-the-time-has-come","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picmybug.com\/de\/lutrogale-perspicillata-ottercity-%c9%92%cb%88t%c9%9c%cb%90r%c9%99sit-ee-the-ability-to-make-a-fresh-start-when-the-time-has-come\/sorted-by-country\/singapore\/","title":{"rendered":"Lutrogale perspicillata \u2013 ottercity [\u0252\u02c8t\u025c\u02d0(r)\u0259sIt-ee], the ability to make a fresh start when the time has come"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ottercity is not a feature, it is one name for Singapore, a city that has successfully rebuilt habitats that have been destroyed before. One of the benefiting species is this smooth-coated otter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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93% of Singapore\u2019s forests were gone<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

When a river gets the nickname \u201cDead Chicken River\u201d it\u2019s no wonder that the semi-aquatic mammals run away. This happened to the Singapore river only 50 years ago, but nowadays otters can be found regularly in many places in Singapore. Sometimes you see a single one, but usually, it would be a small group of around 5. They\u2019ll always attract people and \u201cpose\u201d for some nice pictures. And they are cute! Squeaky short-legged busy babies!  Maybe they are a bit less cute with a half-eaten fish in their claws. There is even a Wikipedia article<\/a> about an otter family.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Malaysia, this otter species feeds on fish (catfish and Tilapia, which is almost a hundred species of cichlid fish under one name) and crabs, with few (10% of their diet) snakes (pit vipers). In Singapore, you for sure can see them eat kois! They also appear on a regular basis in the local press for using a pool, eating from a pond, or being just otterish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Googling for some otter facts, I found a study<\/a> saying that Lutrogale perspicillata crossbred with Aonyx cinereus<\/em> (Asian small-clawed otter)! Other papers or websites<\/a> though never mention that at all. So it is either not widely accepted or it is not well recognized\/ or well ignored because it sounds a bit weird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small clawed otter is much smaller and rarely seen. Chances are that in times where otters were on the edge in this area, crossbreeding happened. Who knows, maybe in a few decades those will be described as the 14th otter species?! In no means hybrid otters are less cute or cool!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s hope more for species showing the “ottercity” to regain their former habitats! It is not their turn to adopt, it ours! Stop for otters at a zebra crossing, don\u2019t buy expensive kois, but get budget-fishies and allow the otters to help themselves.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n