Aonyx capensis Shoulder height 20–30cm. Weight 3–5kg.
This is the larger of the two species of otter that occur in southern Africa. It has a chocolate-brown coat with a pale creme-to-white chin and throat. In Botswana, it is restricted to the northern river systems of Chobe, Kwando-Linyanti and the Okavango (it's not found in broad, tropical rivers like the Zambezi), though will occasionally move away from there, across dry land, in search of other pools and waterways.

Cape clawless otters are active mostly around dusk and dawn, although they will sometimes be seen in broad daylight or at night. Rough skin on their paws gives excellent grip, and with this they prey mostly on frogs and fish. They'll also take freshwater mussels, and will use rocks to help them crack these open.

Although very shy (they'll usually flee when approached by a boat or people), they're delightful to watch; seeming very playful with a variety of aquatic acrobatics and cleaning their face and paws scrupulously after every meal. Visiting Botswana, you're most likely to see otters in the shallow floodplain areas of the Okavango when on a quiet mokoro trip.

Similar species
The smaller spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis) is darker with light white spots on its throat – though difficult to distinguish from its larger cousin unless you're familiar with them both. Their distribution and habits are similar to the Cape clawless, though they are more diurnal, and more tied to bodies of water.