Species group · Mammals
Desmans
WAnimals has 2 species of desman, all in the family Talpidae.
- 2 species
- 1 family
- 9 countries
- 6 parks
- Weight
- 50 g – 520 g
- Length
- 11 cm – 22 cm
- Lifespan
- 4 years
Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 2.
All 2 species of desmans on WAnimals
Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.
Conservation status
2 especies in this group están en alguna categoría de riesgo real según la UICN.
See the global conservation statusWhere they live
Recorded in 9 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:
Where to see them
Did you know…
Only two desmans are left in the world, the Pyrenean and the Russian: they are the last survivors of a lineage of aquatic moles that was far more diverse millions of years ago.
From Iberian Desman
It is a first-rate bioindicator: it vanishes as soon as a river is polluted, dammed or loses flow, so its presence certifies that the water is clean.
From Iberian Desman
Its laterally flattened tail and webbed hind feet make it an excellent swimmer, despite belonging to the same family as the burrowing moles.
From Russian Desman
It is a living fossil: its lineage separated from that of the moles more than 30 million years ago, and only one other desman is left in the world, the Iberian one of the Pyrenees.
From Russian Desman