Our Natural History collection is full of incredible specimens, and working as a Collections Management and Documentation Trainee for the Nature + Love project has given me the wonderful opportunity to get up close and personal with so many of them. In this blog I’ll be telling you all about a favourite of mine – the desman.
What is a desman?
I had never heard of desmans before, let alone seen one in taxidermy form. I was instantly keen to learn more about this odd, small, furry mammal that, in my opinion, looks like a cross between a platypus and a guinea pig!
Desmans are small, semiaquatic mammals that are related to moles and shrews. There are two species of Desman that currently exist today; the Pyrenean desman and the Russian desman. We have the latter in our collection, and it was on display in the Natural History Gallery until early 2024 and will be making a comeback when the gallery reopens in 2026. It is the only representation of a desman that we have in our whole Natural History collection.
Desmans are a relict (or relic) species, meaning that they survive in a rather isolated habitat, and as such have characteristics of species that have since gone extinct.
Desman on a mount in our stores
A historic species
From fossil remains, scientists have been able to date desman species back to the Miocene, a period of history on Earth that started about 23 million years ago and ended 5 million years ago.
The fact that there are still species of desman alive today mean that they are very valuable for understanding evolutionary trends or reasons for extinctions of other species. Their own characteristics can also be studied to see why desmans specifically have been able to survive for such a long time.
Both species of desman are nocturnal, and sport thick, dark brown fur that covers their whole body apart from their hairless tail and snout, which is adorned with long whiskers. Being semiaquatic, they are generally found near freshwater lakes and streams, and often make their burrows along the banks of these bodies of water. Both species have webbed feet that sport thick hairs which make them very strong swimmers.
Desmans under threat
Pyrenean desmans are the smaller of the two species, and they are found in parts of Spain, Portugal, the French Pyrenees and Andorra. They are considered Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This is due to several causes, including climate change, water pollution, and habitat fragmentation.
Habitat fragmentation occurs when parts of a species’ habitat is destroyed, leading to pockets of smaller habitats that are disconnected, which prevents a species from having access to the wide range of resources it needs to survive. Being nocturnal and rather small, Pyrenean desmans are difficult animals to both find and then subsequently survey. However efforts are being made to conserve this species.
The desman close up
Russian desmans and population change
Russian desmans are larger than Pyrenean desmans but have smaller snouts that are flexible and very sensitive, and so are useful tools for finding their way in the dark. They are found in southwest Russia and live mostly around the basins of the Volga, Don, and Ural Rivers.
By the end of the nineteenth century Russian desmans were near extinction due to hunting. Their musk was used in the production of perfume, and their thick and warm fur was a sought-after material during the fur trade.
The rapid drop in desman population numbers at this time provoked a complete ban on desman hunting and capture for a number of years, which allowed the population to stabilise.
However, in recent years, many different factors have caused Russian desman numbers to once again plummet. Habitat loss, polluted waterways and climate change have all had a huge impact on desman numbers. They only thrive in very specific living conditions and are not very good at adapting to changes in habitat or changes in weather.
Muskrat problems
Another factor that contributed to this decline was the introduction of several non-native species into regions where the Russian desman thrives.
In the early 1930s, muskrats, a species native to Canada, were introduced into Russian desman territory. It was hoped that they would successfully settle and could then start being culled for their fur.
However, this meant that Russian desmans were competing for their habitats against larger and more aggressive competitors, and many groups of Desmans were chased out of their homes.
These factors have caused the Russian desman to be classified as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN, and some desman populations have completely disappeared from certain regions in Russia. However, there are currently steps being taken to preserve these strange and wonderful animals, including protecting the lands they live on, and several reintroduction attempts.
The Russian desman is just one of the many incredible animals we have in our collection at the Horniman, and we cannot wait to share all their stories with you in the new Natural History Gallery.