A desman is either of two species of amphibious Eurasian moles. They live on land but seek prey underwater. The Russian desman ( Desmana moschata ) is nocturnal and eats insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and amphibians. The Pyrenean desman ( Galemys pyrenaicus ) prefers cold, clear, swift mountain streams and eats aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, crustaceans, and sometimes fish. Both species have water-repellent fur, tiny eyes, no external ears, partially webbed forefeet, and huge webbed hind feet. The Russian desman weighs 100–220 grams, while the Pyrenean desman weighs 35–80 grams.

Where do desmans live?

Desmans are amphibious Eurasian moles that live on land but hunt underwater. The Russian desman is native to southwestern Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, residing in unpolluted lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams and rivers. It has also been introduced into the Ob and Dnieper river catchments in northern Russia and Ukraine. The Pyrenean desman prefers cold, clear, swift mountain streams and rivers at elevations from 300 to 2,200 metres and inhabits the Pyrenees Mountains and the northern mountains of the Iberian Peninsula.

What does a desman look like?

Desmans are amphibious Eurasian moles that live on land but hunt underwater instead of burrowing through soil . They have a flexible, protruding snout with a lobed tip, tiny eyes, and no external ears, and can close their ear holes and nostrils underwater. Their forefeet are partially webbed and fringed with stiff hairs, while their large hind feet are fully webbed and fringed. Desmans have long, curved, sharp claws and water-repellent fur that is long, soft, and dense. The Russian desman looks like a muskrat, with dark brown upperparts and silvery gray underparts. The Pyrenean desman is smaller, with grayish brown upperparts and silvery gray underparts.

How does a desman adapt to living in water?

The desman, a type of amphibious Eurasian mole, has several adaptations for its aquatic lifestyle. Its protruding, flexible snout is flat and grooved with a lobed tip, and it can close its ear holes and nostrils underwater. The desman's forefeet are partially webbed and fringed with stiff hairs, while its large hind feet are fully webbed and fringed, which help propel the mammal through the water. Additionally, the desman has water-repellent fur that is long, soft, and dense.

What do desmans eat and how do they find food?

Desmans are amphibious Eurasian moles that don't burrow through the soil. Instead, they den on land and seek prey underwater. The Russian desman is nocturnal and uses its mobile, proboscis-like snout to thrust and probe along the bottom of unpolluted lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams and rivers for insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and amphibians. The nocturnal Pyrenean desman prefers cold, clear, and swift mountain streams and rivers. They propel themselves primarily with their strong hind legs and feet to hunt aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, crustaceans, and sometimes fish.

Why are desmans considered rare or endangered in the wild?

Desmans, particularly the Russian desman and the Pyrenean desman, face threats that contribute to their rarity and endangerment in the wild. The Russian desman's populations have declined due to: * Excessive trapping for their fur * Water pollution * Competition for habitat with introduced species like muskrats and nutrias The Pyrenean desman is threatened by stream pollution and human-made alterations of its habitat. Habitat loss, stemming from deforestation, agriculture, and development, reduces the space for species to live and reproduce, potentially leading to extinction.

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What is a desman?
A desman is either of two species of amphibious Eurasian moles. They live on land but seek prey underwater. The Russian desman (Desmana moschata) is nocturnal and eats insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and amphibians. The Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) prefers cold, clear, swift mountain streams and eats aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, crustaceans, and sometimes fish.

Both species have water-repellent fur, tiny eyes, no external ears, partially webbed forefeet, and huge webbed hind feet. The Russian desman weighs 100–220 grams, while the Pyrenean desman weighs 35–80 grams.
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Where do desmans live?
Desmans are amphibious Eurasian moles that live on land but hunt underwater. The Russian desman is native to southwestern Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, residing in unpolluted lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams and rivers. It has also been introduced into the Ob and Dnieper river catchments in northern Russia and Ukraine. The Pyrenean desman prefers cold, clear, swift mountain streams and rivers at elevations from 300 to 2,200 metres and inhabits the Pyrenees Mountains and the northern mountains of the Iberian Peninsula.
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2. Definition of desman
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What does a desman look like?
Desmans are amphibious Eurasian moles that live on land but hunt underwater instead of burrowing through soil. They have a flexible, protruding snout with a lobed tip, tiny eyes, and no external ears, and can close their ear holes and nostrils underwater. Their forefeet are partially webbed and fringed with stiff hairs, while their large hind feet are fully webbed and fringed. Desmans have long, curved, sharp claws and water-repellent fur that is long, soft, and dense.

The Russian desman looks like a muskrat, with dark brown upperparts and silvery gray underparts. The Pyrenean desman is smaller, with grayish brown upperparts and silvery gray underparts.
1 Britannica Source
1. desman
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How does a desman adapt to living in water?
The desman, a type of amphibious Eurasian mole, has several adaptations for its aquatic lifestyle. Its protruding, flexible snout is flat and grooved with a lobed tip, and it can close its ear holes and nostrils underwater. The desman's forefeet are partially webbed and fringed with stiff hairs, while its large hind feet are fully webbed and fringed, which help propel the mammal through the water. Additionally, the desman has water-repellent fur that is long, soft, and dense.
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2. biosphere: Temperature
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What do desmans eat and how do they find food?
Desmans are amphibious Eurasian moles that don't burrow through the soil. Instead, they den on land and seek prey underwater.

The Russian desman is nocturnal and uses its mobile, proboscis-like snout to thrust and probe along the bottom of unpolluted lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams and rivers for insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and amphibians.

The nocturnal Pyrenean desman prefers cold, clear, and swift mountain streams and rivers. They propel themselves primarily with their strong hind legs and feet to hunt aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, crustaceans, and sometimes fish.
1 Britannica Source
1. desman
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why are desmans considered rare or endangered in the wild?
Desmans, particularly the Russian desman and the Pyrenean desman, face threats that contribute to their rarity and endangerment in the wild.

The Russian desman's populations have declined due to:
* Excessive trapping for their fur
* Water pollution
* Competition for habitat with introduced species like muskrats and nutrias

The Pyrenean desman is threatened by stream pollution and human-made alterations of its habitat. Habitat loss, stemming from deforestation, agriculture, and development, reduces the space for species to live and reproduce, potentially leading to extinction.
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2. habitat loss
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desman, either of two species of amphibious Eurasian moles that den on land but seek prey underwater instead of burrowing through soil. The protruding flexible snout is flat and grooved with a lobed tip. Desmans have tiny eyes and no external ears; the ear holes and nostrils close underwater. The forefeet are partially webbed and fringed with stiff hairs. The huge hind feet are webbed to the tips of the digits and are also fringed with hair. Claws are long, curved, and sharp. Both species have water-repellent fur that is long, soft, and dense.

The tail of the Russian desman (Desmana moschata) is flattened horizontally and has scent glands at its base that exude a strong musky odour that envelops the animal. The Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) of western Europe has similar scent glands. It has a cylindrical tail, flat near its tip and fringed with stiff hairs. The Russian desman resembles a muskrat, weighing 100–220 grams (3.5–7.8 ounces), with a body about 20 cm (8 inches) long and a tail of about the same length. Upperparts are dark brown; underparts are silvery gray. The smaller Pyrenean desman weighs 35–80 grams (1.23–2.82 ounces), with a body 11–14 cm (4–6 inches) long and a longer tail (12–16 cm; 5–6 inches). It is grayish brown above and silvery gray beneath.

The Russian desman is nocturnal and inhabits unpolluted lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams and rivers. It swims propelled by its hind feet and tail, using its mobile proboscis-like snout to thrust and probe along the bottom for insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and amphibians. Dens are constructed in stream banks and lake margins. A tunnel with an underwater entrance leads to a nest chamber above water level. One or two litters of two to five young are usual; gestation lasts 40–50 days. The Russian desman is indigenous to southwestern Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan in basins of the Don, Volga, and Ural rivers. It has been introduced into the catchments of the Ob and Dnieper rivers of northern Russia and Ukraine, respectively. Populations have declined owing to excessive trapping for fur, water pollution, and competition for space with introduced muskrats and nutrias.

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The nocturnal Pyrenean desman prefers cold, clear, and swift mountain streams and rivers at elevations from 300 to 2,200 metres (1,000 to 7,200 feet). Although awkward on land, it is an adept, fast swimmer, propelling itself primarily by its strong hind legs and feet. During the day it shelters in crevices among stones and roots in stream banks or in burrows constructed by water voles. Litters of one to five young are born after a gestation of 30 days. Aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, crustaceans, and sometimes fish make up its diet. The Pyrenean desman inhabits the Pyrenees Mountains and the northern mountains of the Iberian Peninsula. It is threatened by stream pollution and other manmade alterations of its habitat.

Desmans are a subfamily (Desmaninae) of moles (family Talpidae, order Soricomorpha), which belong to a larger group of mammals referred to as insectivores. Other Eurasian species of Desmana and Galemys evolved and then went extinct during the Pliocene Epoch (5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.

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