The spotted-necked otter is usually chocolate to reddish brown and marked with creamy or white blotches over the chest and throat.

Females have two pairs of teats, and while males have a large scrotum, the penis is hidden beneath the skin, to reduce drag while swimming.

[4] They normally hunt alone, except when mothers are training their young, and are not territorial, sheltering through the night in short burrows, rock crevices, or patches of dense vegetation.

On land, they travel mainly over regular paths, and rarely move more than 10 m (33 ft) from river or lake banks.

[6] The spotted-necked otter is diurnal and appears to hunt entirely by sight using short dives of less than 20 seconds each in clear water with good visibility.