Endangered
Pyrenean desman
Galemys pyrenaicus
Pyrenean desman is a mammal in the family Talpidae (order Soricomorpha) — Galemys pyrenaicus, recorded as Endangered.
Appearance
The Pyrenean desman shows anatomical features that resemble those of several other mammals, among them the brown rat (notably a robust tail adapted for swimming), the European mole (with strong, clawed forelimbs and a sensitive snout), and the common shrew (with an elongated snout used to capture small arthropods). The distinctive trunk-like snout gives rise to the alternative name "trumpet rat". Its mobile, prehensile snout bears vibrissae at the base and Eimer's organs at the tip, specialized tactile structures.
Range and habitat
The Pyrenean desman is an endemic species of mountainous regions of the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains, and the Iberian Sistema Central. It occurs primarily along specific rivers and their tributaries (listed from north to south and from west to east): France: Nivelle, Nive, Gave d'Aspe, Gave d'Ossau, Adour, Neste, Pique, Garonne, Hers-Vif, Salat, Arize, Ariège, Aude, Rébenty, Agly, Têt, and Tech. Spain: Bidasoa, Leitzaran, Deba, Artibai, Lea, Gobelas, Oka, Auritz, Irati, Aragon, Gállego, sierra de Guara, Ara, Cinca, Noguera Ribagorçana, Noguera Pallaresa, Segre, Ter, Oviedo, Pisuerga, Xallas, Tambre, Lérez, Oitavén, Sil, Tâmega, Arandilla, Duero; portugal: Minho, Rio Âncora, Lima, Neiva, Cávado River, Ave, Rio Leça, Douro, Vouga, Mondego, Zêzere. Many of these rivers are separated by continental divides or belong to distinct and non-contiguous drainage basins. As a result, the species' distribution is highly fragmented.
Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.
Diet and breeding
There is no clearly defined breeding season, although three peaks in gestation have been identified in February, March, and May. The species has very limited vision and relies primarily on a highly developed sense of touch for orientation and foraging.
The desman is an insectivorous semi-aquatic species that inhabits mountain lakes and fast-flowing streams with clear water. Its diet consists mainly of aquatic larvae that are sensitive to pollution, among them larvae of stoneflies, caddisflies, and mayflies.
In crisis
Since 2021, the species has been classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature across its entire range, with populations continuing to decline despite conservation measures implemented since the early 21st century. Using the same density estimates, population size was calculated at approximately one individual per square kilometre. When extrapolated to the French Pyrenees as a whole, this corresponds to an estimated population of fewer than 17,000 individuals in France.
Studies conducted in the 2010s reported higher densities, estimated at 2–5 individuals per linear kilometre in France and 3–7 individuals per linear kilometre in Spain. A reversal of this balance could increase the risk of population decline.
Pyrenean desman is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.
Sources
Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Pyrenean desman, Wikidata item Q754036. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.
