Galemys pyrenaicus, Photo: Michael Lahanas
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Ordo: Eulipotyphla
Familia: Talpidae
Subfamilia: Talpinae
Tribus: Desmanini
Genus: Galemys
Species: Galemys pyrenaicus
Subspecies: G. p. pyrenaicus – G. p. rufulus
Name
Galemys pyrenaicus (E. Geoffroy, 1811)
Type locality: Hautes-Pyrenees, France
Type Specimen: MNHN Ndeg180
References
Galemys pyrenaicus in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
Vernacular names
aragonés: Topo d'augua
Boarisch: Pyrenän-Desman
brezhoneg: Desman ar Pireneoù
català: Almesquera
Deutsch: Pyrenäen-Desman
English: Pyrenean Desman
español: Desmán de los Pirineos
euskara: Iberiar muturluze
galego: Furapresas ibérico, aguaneira, toupa de auga.
magyar: Pireneusi pézsmacickány
日本語: ピレネーデスマン
Diné bizaad: Tsékʼi naʼałkǫ́ʼii
polski: Wychuchol pirenejski
português: Toupeira-da-água
русский: Пиренейская выхухоль
српски / srpski: Пиринејска воденкртица
svenska: Bisamnäbbmus
中文: 比利牛斯鼬鼹
The Pyrenean desman or Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is a small semiaquatic, globally threatened mammal related to moles and shrews, and, along with the Russian desman (Desmana moschata), is one of the two extant members of the tribe Desmanini.[2][3] The species occurs in north and central parts of Spain and Portugal, French Pyrenees, and Andorra,[2] but severe range contractions have been documented across its geographic distribution.[4]
Description
Snout of the Pyrenean desman
The Pyrenean desman is 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 in) long with a rounded scale-covered tail of 12 to 16 cm (4.7 to 6.3 in), and weighs 35 to 80 g (1.2 to 2.8 oz).[3] They have a long, sensitive nasal trompe provided with hypertrophic vibrissae and chemo-/mechanosensitive Eimer's organs helping prey detection, and large webbed feet with fringed hairs to increase the swimming surface, and can close off their nostrils and ears to stop water penetration.[3][5]
The desman's body is covered in dark, brownish fur, with the exception of its tail and nose. The nose is black and is covered in vibrissae (facial hairs), which it uses to feel the movement of prey as it sticks its nose into mud or crevices while searching for food. The Pyrenean desman can live at least 3.5 years. The animals are mostly nocturnal, and eat small invertebrates, mostly aquatic macroinvertebrates. They breed up to three times a year, with the period of gestation lasting around thirty days.
Three to four young are born in each litter. The males have a slightly larger territory than the female. Both males and females scent mark. They are thought to be aggressive towards other adult members of the species.[3][6]
Habitat
Pyrenean desmans are proficient swimmers, suited to their aquatic habitat, although their claws also allow them to be good at climbing. They mostly occur in fast-flowing, mountainous rivers with shallow waters and good riparian galleries. The habitat of the Pyrenean desman is under threat, and recent studies have shown dramatic declines in species occurrence in several parts of its range in the last few decades [4][7]
Conservation
Threats include habitat fragmentation and alteration, invasive species (e.g. the American mink), and climate change.[4][7]
The Photo Ark
On May 4, 2018, National Geographic reported that the Pyrenean desman was the 8,000th animal photographed for The Photo Ark by Joel Sartore.[8]
References
Wikispecies has information related to Galemys pyrenaicus.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Galemys pyrenaicus.
Hutterer, R. (2005). "Order Soricomorpha". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Quaglietta, L. (2022) [amended version of 2021 assessment]. "Galemys pyrenaicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T8826A214429993. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T8826A214429993.en.
Palmeirim, J. M.; Hoffmann, R. S. (1983). "Galemys pyrenaicus". Mammalian Species (207): 1–5. doi:10.2307/3503939. JSTOR 3503939. S2CID 253913583.
Quaglietta, L.; Paupério, J.; Martins, F.; Alves, P.C.; Beja, P. (20 June 2018). "Recent range contractions in the globally threatened Pyrenean desman highlight the importance of stream headwater refugia". Animal Conservation. 21 (6): 515–525. Bibcode:2018AnCon..21..515Q. doi:10.1111/acv.12422. S2CID 90982534.
Quaglietta, L. (2018). "Semi-aquatic". In Vonk, J.; Shackelford, T. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. pp. 1–6. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_394-1. ISBN 978-3-319-47829-6.
Stone, R. D. (1987). "The social ecology of the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus)(Insectivora: Talpidae), as revealed by radiotelemetry". Journal of Zoology. 212 (1): 117–129. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb05119.x.
Charbonnel, A.; Laffaille, P.; Biffi, M.; Blanc, F.; Maire, A.; Némoz, M.; Sanchez-Perez, JM.; Sauvage, S; Buisson, L. (2016). "Can recent global changes explain the dramatic range contraction of an endangered semi-aquatic mammal species in the French Pyrenees?". PLOS ONE. 11 (7): e0159941. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1159941C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0159941. PMC 4965056. PMID 27467269.
Gibbens, Sarah (May 4, 2018). "Aquatic Mammal With Snorkel Nose Is 8,000th Animal in Our Photo Ark". Nationalgeographic.com. National Geographic. Archived from the original on June 9, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
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