Geographical Range of the Asian Small-Clawed Otter

Distribution of Aonyx cinereus. The areas labelled 'Unknown' are part of the historic range of this species

This is from UN Environmental Program, World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Although the species' range appears large, records are very out of date over most of it, and numbers today are thought to be low and declining. Historically, they were found from the Himalayas to Indonesia, and up the coast of China to South Korea. The only areas in which these animals are today known to be common are Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Kedah, and in the western forests and southern marshes of Thailand.

There was a separate population in Kerala, in Southern India, and Sri Lanka; today nothing is known of their occurance in Sri Lanka, but they can still occasionally be sighted in the higher parts of the hill ranges of Karnatska, Goa, and the Nilgiris and Palmi hills (Tamil Nadu).

Asian Small-Clawed Otter