Desman

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.<ref name="PD_iucn">Template:Cite iucn</ref><ref name="RD_iucn">Template:Cite iucn</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=gray /> Both living species are thought to have derived from the fossil genus Archaeodesmana.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

SpeciesEdit

Genus Desmana
- Russian desman (D. moschata)
- †Desmana kowalskae<ref name=gray />
- †Desmana nehringi<ref name=gray />
- †Desmana inflata<ref name=gray />
- †Desmana thermalis<ref name=gray />
- †Desmana marci<ref name=gray />
Genus Galemys
- Pyrenean desman (G. pyrenaicus)
Genus †Asthenoscapter Miocene, Europe<ref name=Hutchinson>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Genus †Archaeodesmana Miocene-Pliocene, Europe
Genus †Desmanella Miocene, Europe<ref name=Meier>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Genus †Gaillardia Miocene, North America
Genus †Mygalinia Late Miocene, Hungary
Genus †Magnatalpa Miocene-Pliocene, North America<ref name=gray>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Genus †Ruemkelia<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>