MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 50^ 



" Apparently rare in Coorg, the single specimen obtained was only re- 

 cognized by a very few of the local natives. Said to be largely diurnal in 

 habits, and although to a considerable extent arboreal, to hunt a great 

 deal on the ground, occasionally in small parties ". — G. C. S. 



LUTRA LUTRA, L. 



The 00771711071 Otte>: 



1758. Mustela lutra, Linnreus, Syst. Nat. 1, 10th edn., p. 45. 



1777. Lutra vulgai-is, Erxl. Syst. Reg. An., p. 448. 



1823. Lutra nair, F. Cuv. Diet. Sc. Nat. XXVII, p. 247. 

 1837. Lutra indica, Gray, Charlesworth's Mag. N. H. 1, p. 580. 

 1839. Lut7-a tai-aijends, Hodgs. J.A.S.B., VIII, p. 319. 



1888. Lutra vulgaiis, Blanf. Mammalia, No. 92. 

 1^,4$?. Virajpet, S. Ooorg. 

 1 S- Srimangala. 



4 c? J (2683, no skull) ; 6 ? $ (2684 no skull). Haleri, 



N. Coorg. 



General colour brown, under fur woolly, white at the base and brown 



above ; hairs of a lighter brown colour and longer. Under surface greyish 



brown, underside of neck especially light in colour. Head and body 



about 20 inches, tail about 10^ inches. Weight of a female 7 lbs. 



" Very plentiful. Coorg is a celebrated Mahseer district, and a reward 

 is offered for the destruction of otters by the local fishing associa- 

 tion. It will be interesting to discover whether the estuary otter of the 

 West Coast is this species or macrodus, possibly they both occur there. 

 Lutra lutra would appear to be the common "hill otter" of Southern 

 India ".— G.C.S. 



Vernacular names : — Nikrnai. Nirunai (Water-dog). 



AONYX CINERA, Illig. 



The claiuless Otter. 



1815. Aonyx cinei-a, Illiger, Abh. Ak. Berl. 1811, p. 99 (pub. 1815). 



1824. Lutra leptonyx, Horsfeild, Res. Java. 



1839. Lutra indigitata, Hodgson, J. A. S. B., VTII, p. 320. 



1888. Lutra leptonyx, Blanford, Mammalia, No. 95. 

 1 (S . Virajpet, S. Coorg. 

 1 cJ . Haleri, N. Coorg. 



General colour dark brown (rather darker than the common otter), under 

 fur woolly and paler at the base ; underpart lighter, almost white under 

 the chin and on sides of face. Differs from the common otter in only 

 having rudimentary claws. Head and body 23 inches, tail 13 inches, 

 weight of a male 9^ lbs. 



Blanford originally adopted the name leptonyx, but in his ' Appendix 

 and Errata ' on p. 601 of the " Mammalia ", he accepts cinera as represent- 

 ing this species. 



" In Coorg, occurring in the same waters as Lutra lutra, but in fewer 

 numbers. It is difficult to distinguish between the habits of animals 

 which are externally so alike, but I have been informed that the clawless 

 otter (known as the small otter) hunts in larger packs, although most 

 otters, wherever plentiful, are gregarious. As far as it is at present known, 

 this species in Southern India is a hill otter, but in Java and other parts 

 of the East Indies, it is equally plentiful in estuaries and even along the 

 sea coast. In Java I found this species breeding in the banks of paddy 

 fields ."— G. C. S. 



