A mole-like mammal, the desman is an underwater expert that uses its unusual double-barreled nose to hunt for prey. This predator has a long snout that works as a snorkel so it can stay in the water to look for food and stay safe from predators on land. The versatile nose is also a sensor for finding prey.
Rear Steering: While swimming, this mammal's flat tail works like that of a fish. The desman uses it as a rudder to steer while pursuing prey.
In Depth Odor: The desman can "sniff out" prey underwater. It runs mouthfuls of water over a special organ (called the Jacobsen's organ) inside its mouth. It detects scents from prey in the water. Snakes have the same organ and use it to smell air.
The Nose Knows[]
Desmans were once hunted for their fur, which was used to make hats.
The desman's specialized fleshy nose gives it a two-prong approach when it searches for food. While hunting in the water, the mammal darts around furiously and pokes its nose between rocks and under the sand of a riverbed, hoping to come into contact with an aquatic insect. When in need of air, the desman sticks the tip of its nose above the surface and takes in a few breaths before heading back down.
Double Coat: A desman's fur is made up of two coats. Long, silver-tipped hairs on top protect a layer of shorter fur from becoming waterlogged while the mammal is underwater.
Clumsy: When on land, the desman walks awkwardly. The animal's webbed hind feet are better suited to propelling it through the water.
Following its Nose[]
- After hunting in the water for a while, the desman has to stop and take a breath. The mammal pokes its nose over the surface and inhales some air. Finding food is a full-time job for the desman, which has to eat up to twice its body weight every day to keep up its energy level.
- The mammal heads back down and pokes its nose through every nook and cranny it can find. The desman's sensitive nose rubs against a young stonefly under one of the rocks, and the predator wastes no time in snatching up the insect larva.
Trivia[]
- The scientific names listed are the Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) and Russian Desman (Desmana moschata), respectively.
- The first "lives" in the "Habitat" section of the Creature Features infobox is accidentally italicized along with the Pyrenean Desman's scientific name.
- The desman is featured in both the "match up" section of Super Trivia and in Know Your Noses on Monster Mania 16.