Table of Contents
Where do Russian Desmans live?
The russian desman inhabits freshwater, slow moving streams, lakes, and ponds. They make their nests on the shoreline under vegetation and roots above the high water line.
How long does the Russian desman live?
Russian desmans rarely can survive more than 3 years in the wild.
Are desmans extinct?
The Russian desman (Desmana moschata) (Russian: выхухоль vykhukhol’) is a small semiaquatic mammal that inhabits the Volga, Don and Ural River basins in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan….
| Russian desman | |
|---|---|
| Endangered (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
How big is the Russian desman?
18 to 22 cm
moles. The largest is the Russian desman (Desmana moschata) of central Eurasia, which weighs 100 to 220 grams (3.53 to 7.76 ounces) and has a body 18 to 22 cm (7 to 9 inches) long and a tail nearly as long.
Are there muskrats in Russia?
muskrat, (Ondatra zibethicus), a large amphibious rodent indigenous to North America but found also in Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Siberia, adjacent areas of China and Mongolia, and Honshu Island in Japan. The muskrat is a robust vole weighing up to 1.8 kg (4 pounds).
Why is the Russian Desman endangered?
The Russian desman is primarily threatened by the widespread use of fixed fishing nets, the low cost and high durability of modern nets means that poachers often leave them in the water for days or even months. A desman dies within 5-10 minutes of being trapped in a net.
What eats a muskrat?
Muskrats have many predators, including minks, raccoons, owls, hawks, red foxes and bald eagles. Humans hunt muskrats for meat, fur and sport. To hide from predators, they dive underwater or into their lodge.
Are Golden moles blind?
Golden mole, (order Chrysochloridea), any of 18 species of blind and tailless burrowing insectivores that live in sub-Saharan Africa. Golden moles have a cylindrical body, short limbs, and no external tail; tail vertebrae are beneath the skin.
What kind of habitat does the Russian desman live in?
It constructs burrows into the banks of ponds and slow-moving streams, but prefers small, overgrown ponds with abundance of insects, crayfish and amphibians. The Russian desman often lives in small (usually not related) groups of two to five animals, and appears to have a complex (but largely unstudied) communication and social system .
What kind of food does a Russian desman eat?
Russian desman is an omnivore (it eats plants and meat). Its diet consists of at least 72 types of aquatic invertebrates and 30 different plant species. Other than that, Russian desman consumes insects, fish and amphibians. Russian desman digs burrows on the river banks. Burrows are equipped with underwater entrances.
The Russian desman often lives in small (usually not related) groups of two to five animals, and appears to have a complex (but largely unstudied) communication and social system . The Russian desman is one of two surviving species of the tribe Desmanini, the other being the Pyrenean desman.
What kind of tail does a Russian desman have?
The Russian desman has a long, grooved snout that is flexible. The tail is scaly, flattened laterally and wide at the base. Scent glands are located at the base of the tail and give off a musky smell. The waterproof brownish/red coat is bi-layered with a dense, short bottom later and a longer, stiff outer later.