Desmans are aquatic insectivores of the tribe Desmanini (also considered a subfamily, Desmaninae) in the mole family, Talpidae.
This tribe consists of two living species found in Europe: the Russian desman (Desmana moschata) in European Russia, and the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and the Pyrenees. Both species are endangered, the Russian desman critically so. They have webbed paws and their front paws are not well-adapted for digging. Desmans were much more diverse and widespread during the Miocene, with two genera, Gaillardia and Magnatalpa, being present in North America. Both living species are thought to have derived from the fossil genus Archaeodesmana.
Species
Genus Desmana Russian desman (D. moschata) †Desmana kowalskae †Desmana nehringi †Desmana inflata †Desmana thermalis †Desmana marci Genus Galemys Pyrenean desman (G. pyrenaicus) Genus †Asthenoscapter Miocene, Europe Genus †Archaeodesmana Miocene-Pliocene, Europe Genus †Desmanella Miocene, Europe Genus †Gaillardia Miocene, North America Genus †Mygalinia Late Miocene, Hungary Genus †Magnatalpa Miocene-Pliocene, North America Genus †Ruemkelia
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In the media
References