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Animal profile

Russian Desman

Desmana moschata

MammaliaSlow rivers, oxbow lakes and ponds with vegetated banksCritically Endangered

Field profile

The Russian desman is a semi-aquatic relative of the moles, with webbed hind feet, a laterally flattened tail and a long mobile snout. It hunts invertebrates underwater and lives in bank burrows entered below the waterline. Its eyesight is very poor and it finds prey by touch and smell.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-09-08

Russian Desman

The desman is a mole that hunts underwater

Russian desmans belong to the mole family but live in rivers. They swim with webbed hind feet and a flattened tail, keep burrow entrances below the waterline, and locate prey with a snout that works as a probe rather than with eyes.

Read with evidence →

Russian Desman | Daily Animal Facts