Journal of Threatened
Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 September 2025 | 17(9): 27548–27550
ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9921.17.9.27548-27550
#9921 | Received 13 May 2025 | Final received 14 July 2025 | Finally
accepted 03 September 2025
First photographic record of the
Smooth-coated Otter Lutra perspicillata in Polavaram
Forest Range, Andhra Pradesh, India
Arun Kumar Gorati 1, Ritesh
Vishwakarma 2, Anukul Nath 3 &
Parag Nigam 4
1–4 Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.
1 arunkumargorati@gmail.com, 2
ritesh.mammals@gmail.com, 3 anukul@wii.gov.in,
4 nigamp@wii.gov.in (corresponding author)
Editor: S.S. Talmale, Zoological Survey of India, Pune, India. Date of publication: 26 September 2025 (online & print)
Citation: Gorati, A.K.., R. Vishwakarma, A. Nath & P. Nigam (2025). First
photographic record of the Smooth-coated Otter Lutra
perspicillata in Polavaram
Forest Range, Andhra Pradesh, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 17(9): 27548–27550. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.9921.17.9.27548-27550
Copyright: © Gorati et al. 2025. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use,
reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing
adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: Andhra Pradesh Forest Department (APFD).
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Ethics statement: The authors declare that this research was conducted following all applicable ethical standards, and the authors abided by the Code of Conduct for contributors to the journal. No animals were captured, handled, or harmed during the study. The observation and photographic documentation of the Smooth-coated Otter were made opportunistically and non-invasively during an ecological field survey. The study did not involve any experimental intervention or manipulation of wildlife. All necessary permissions were obtained from the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, and due acknowledgement is given for their support. The authors affirm their commitment
to the ethical principles of transparency, responsibility, and respect for biodiversity conservation.
Acknowledgments: We thank Mr. B.N.N. Murthy, CCF & FD, Project Tiger; Mr.
G. Vignesh Appavu, DFO, Markapur Division; Mr. Anurag Meena, DFO, Nandyal Division; Mr. V. Saibaba, DFO, Atmakur Division; Mr. Y.V. Narsimha Rao, DFO, Giddlur Division; Mr. Ravindra Dhama, DFO, Eluru Forest Division; Mr. Daveedu Raju, FRO, Polavaram, Eluru Forest Division, all from the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department for their help and support.
The
Godavari is the largest river in Peninsular India, flows eastwards from
Maharashtra to Andhra Pradesh before finally entering the Bay of Bengal (Babar
& Kaplay 2018). The river basin covers nearly
9.5% of India’s total land area, falling between 73.43°—83.12° E and 16.27°
—23.72° N, extending over an area of approximately 312,812 km2
(Hussain et al. 2017; Babar & Kaplay 2018). Along
its stretch, the Godavari River supports diverse riparian and aquatic habitats
that could potentially be suitable for Lutra
perspicillata (Nagulu
et al. 1998; Sivakumar et al. 2014; Hussain et al. 2017). The study
documents photographic evidence of the Smooth-coated Otter in Polavaram Range of Eluru Division
of Papikonda National Park, Andhra Pradesh.
The
Smooth-coated Otter Lutra perspicillata inhabits a wide range of aquatic
ecosystems across the Oriental region, including paddy fields, lakes, rivers,
perennial water bodies, and mangroves (Khoo et al. 2021; de Ferran
et al. 2022). India is home to three otter species:
The Asian small-clawed Otter Aonyx cinereus, the Eurasian Otter Lutra
lutra, and the Smooth-coated Otter Lutra perspicillata
(Rath et al. 2023). The Smooth-coated Otter is
distributed across the Indian states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal (Nagulu et al. 1998; Hussain 1999; Anoop & Hussain 2005;
Baskaran et al. 2022; Trivadi & Patel 2022; Narasimmarajan et al. 2024). In Andhra Pradesh, its
occurrence is recorded in areas such as East Godavari, West Godavari,
Visakhapatnam, and the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary (Nagulu
et al. 1998; Kantimahanti & Allaparthi
2017; Tamarapalli et al. 2022).
The
Smooth-coated Otter is facing significant threats due to habitat loss,
poaching, pollution, and eutrophication, which may lead to population declines
exceeding 30% (Rath et al. 2023). This species holds
significant conservation importance as a key ecological indicator of freshwater
ecosystem health (Ali et al. 2010, Baskaran et al. 2022). It is currently
listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List and receives legal protection under
Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2022) and
Appendix II of CITES (Nagulu et al. 1998; Gautam
& Kaur 2023; Narasimmarajan et al. 2024).
On 12 June
2024, a team from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) recorded a sighting of one
individual of Smooth-coated Otter in the Polavaram
Forest Range, within the boundaries of Papikonda
National Park, Andhra Pradesh. This opportunistic yet significant sighting
occurred during a field survey at Papikonda National
Park. The otter was photographed using a Sony Alpha 6100 camera in the Kothuru Beat of Polavaram Forest
Range, Eluru Forest Division in close proximity to
the Godavari River; the river separates the Eluru
Forest Division from the Alluri Sitharama Raju
District Forest Division (Daveedu Raju pers. comm.
2024). The coordinates of the sighting were 17.330° N, 81.620° E (Figure 1).
The sighting was noted at 1754 h IST and lasted for less than a minute. The
otter was seen resting on an exposed sandbank (Image 1), most likely because of
the low water in the summer season (Image 1). This observation took place in
the southern portion of Papikonda National Park,
along the Godavari River, about five kilometres from
the Indira Sagar Multipurpose Project (Polavaram Project).
While anecdotal
accounts and local reports have suggested the presence of otters in this area,
no visual or photographic documentation had previously confirmed their
existence. During field assessments, consultations were conducted with forest
officials, and local fishing communities, both of whom were familiar with the
species but reported infrequent sightings, indicating its rarity in the area (Nagulu et al. 1998). Although prior research has found
Smooth-coated Otters in the Godavari River (Nagulu et
al. 1998; Tamarapalli et al. 2022), this is the first
photographic record in the Polavaram Range of Eluru Division.
Otters,
which mostly feed on fish, have a big impact on aquatic ecosystems,
particularly in places where the availability of prey is impacted by human
expansion (Khoo et al. 2021; Narasimmarajan et al.
2024). With 89 fish species from 26 families, the Godavari River is an
essential feeding environment that is encircled by the Eluru
and Alluri Sitharama Raju Forest Divisions (Sivakumar
et al. 2014). The ichthyofauna that otter populations consume includes species
like Wallago attu, Labeo
rohita, and Catla
catla, highlighting the ecological significance
of otter populations in maintaining fish community structures (Anoop &
Hussain 2005; Narasimmarajan et al. 2024).
This
observation not only confirms the presence of this elusive and ecologically
sensitive species in the Polavaram Forest Range of Papikonda National Park but may also extend the known
geographic distribution range of this species in this stretch of Godavari River
(Nagulu et al. 1998). The sighting underscores the
significant gap in our understanding of freshwater biodiversity in this region.
Also, the record serves as a baseline for initiating systematic ecological
studies on otters’ habitat suitability, occupancy trends, and potential
anthropogenic threats. The detection of this apex aquatic predator highlights
the need for increased freshwater biodiversity research and long-term
monitoring to comprehend the ecology and population viability in this dynamic
landscape (Nagulu et al. 1998; Sivakumar et al. 2014;
Narasimmarajan et al. 2024).
For
images - - click here for full PDF
References
Ali, H., R.
Saleem, F.M. Qamer, W.A. Khan, S. Abbas, K. Gunasekara, M. Hazarika, M.S. Ahmed & M. Akhtar (2010). Habitat evaluation of
Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale perspicilliata) in Indus Plains of Pakistan using
remote sensing and GIS. International Archives of the Photometry, Remote
Sensing and Spatial Information Science XXXVII(8 ):
127–132.
Anoop, K.R.
& S.A. Hussain (2005). Food and feeding habits of Smooth-coated Otters (Lutra
perspicillata) and their significance to the fish
population of Kerala, India. Journal of Zoology (London) 266: 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952836905006540
Babar, M.
& R.D. Kaplay (2018). Godavari River: Geomorphology
and Socio-economic Characteristics, pp. 379–396. In: Singh, D. (ed.). The
Indian Rivers. Springer Hydrogeology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2984-4_26
Baskaran, N.,
R.S. Sundarraj & R. Sanil
(2022). Population,
distribution and diet composition of Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale
perspicillata Geoffroy, 1826 in Hosur and
Dharmapuri Forest Divisions, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 14(1):
20469–20477. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.7477.14.1.20469-20477
de Ferran, V., H.V. Figueiro, F. de
Jesus Trindade, O. Smith, M.H.S. Sinding, C.S. Trinca,
G.Z. Lazzari, G. Veron,
J.A. Vianna, F. Barbanera,
S. Kliver, N. Serdyukova,
T. Bulyonkova, O.A. Ryder, M.T.P. Gilbert, K-P. Koepfli & E. Eizirik (2022). Phylogenomics of the world’s otters. Current Biology
32(16): 3650–3658.
Gautam, A.
& S. Kaur (2023). Management and Conservation of Wildlife in India: With Special
Reference to Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022. Indian Journal of Integrated
Research in Law 3(III): 1–13.
Hussain, J.,
I. Husain, M. Arif & N. Gupta (2017). Studies on heavy metal
contamination in Godavari River Basin. Applied Water Science 7:
4539–4548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-017-0607-4
Hussain, S.A.
(1999). Mustelids,
viverrids and herpestids of India: species profile
and conservation status. Environmental Information System (ENVIS)
Bulletin 2(2): 1–38.
Kantimahanti, M. & A.R. Allaparthi (2017). Records of Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata
(Geoffroy, 1826) from the Krishna River Delta of South India. IUCN Otter
Specialist Group Bulletin 34(1): 58–63.
Khoo, M., S. Basak, N. Sivasothi, P.K. de
Silva & I.R. Lubis (2021). Lutrogale
perspicillata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species 2021: e.T12427A164579961. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T12427A164579961.en
Nagulu, V., V.V. Rao, D. Satyanarayana
& C. Srinivasulu (1998). Otter records and otter
conservation perspectives in Andhra Pradesh, India. IUCN Otter
Specialist Group Bulletin 15(1): 31–37.
Narasimmarajan, K., M.T. Mathai, M.W. Hayward
& S. Palanivel (2024). Diet of smooth-coated otter Lutrogale perspicillata
(Geoffroy, 1826) in the Moyar River, Western Ghats,
South India. Academia Biology 2024(2): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.20935/AcadBiol6223
Rath, L.P., K. Ashaharraza
& S.K. Dash (2023). A Rare Sighting of Smooth-coated Otter (Lutrogale
perspicillata) in the Mahanadi River, Odisha,
India. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 40(2): 90–95.
Sivakumar,
K., J.A. Johnson, N. Gokulakkannan, P. Ray, G. Katlam & P. Bagaria (2014). Assessment of ecological
settings and biodiversity values of Papikonda
National Park and Indira Sagar (Polavaram)
Multipurpose Project Impact Zone in Andhra Pradesh for development of
mitigatory measures. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
Tamarapalli, S.C.P. & S. Kolipaka (2022). Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata
(Geoffroy, 1826) in the urban landscape of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh,
India. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 39(1): 22–28.
Trivadi, K. & A. Patel (2022). Smooth-coated Otter Distribution
and Report on Illegal Otter Trafficking in Valsad, India. IUCN Otter
Specialist Group Bulletin 39(4): 196–201.