First photographic record of the Smooth-coated Otter <Lutra perspicillata> in Polavaram Forest Range, Andhra Pradesh, India

This study documents the first confirmed photographic record of the Smooth-coated Otter Lutra perspicillata Geoffroy, 1826 within Papikonda National Park located in Andhra Pradesh, India. On 12 June 2024, during systematic field surveys, a team from the Wildlife Institute of India photographed a single L. perspicillata individual resting on a sandbank in the Polavaram Range. This record provides evidence of the L. perspicillata in this stretch of the Godavari River and contributes to the current understanding of its distribution in this area. The sighting also underscores the need for systematic surveys to assess the persistence and habitat use of the L. perspicillata in this previously unrecorded range.