Asian small-clawed otters are very social animals, that live in groups of up to 15 extended family members. They begin to show breeding behaviors at 6 months old, however, they are not fully mature sexually until they are almost two years old. These otters are monogamous, meaning they choose one partner to mate with for life. Mated pairs can have up to two litters per year, with each litter containing anywhere from 1-5 pups. 

      In a study by Bateman et al. (2009, 118) it was observed that there is a lack of seasonal variation in testosterone secretion levels of the male Aonyx cinereus. This indicates that the males' ability to reproduce is not limited by season. This lack of limitation is echoed in the female reproductive system, as they are polyestrous and are therefore able to conceive during each monthly cycle.

      After copulation, pregnancy is indicated by an increase in progesterone, secreted by the corpus luteum, 14-16 days after ovulation. Over the next 51-61 days there will be a continued increase, before declining near the time of parturition, as indicated in figure 6, (Bateman et al., 2009, 115-116). This gives a total gestation length of 67-77 days. In the examined study, estrogen metabolite levels did not allow for consistent detection of estrus phases of the cycle.  Another interesting fact about A. cinereus reproduction is that females commonly experience pseudopregnancies. These can occur in females that are housed with males, or those house with other females.