desmann.
/ˈdɛsmən/ Zoology.
An aquatic insectivorous mammal, of the genus Myogale, nearly allied to the shrew-mouse, but larger; esp. M. moschata, the musk-shrew or musk-rat, which inhabits the rivers of Russia, chiefly the Volga and Don, and secretes a sort of musk. Another species ( M. pyrenaica) is found in parts of the Pyrenees.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > [noun] > order Insectivora > family Talpidae > genus Desmana (desman)
desman1774
muskrat1774
water mole1845
1774 O. Goldsmith Hist. Earth IV. 78 The desman has a long extended snout, like the shrew mouse.
1861 R. T. Hulme tr. C. H. Moquin-Tandon Elements Med. Zool. ii. iii. ii. 110 The tail of the Desman of Muscovy, or Musk Rat of Russia..is sought for as a perfume. It owes its odour to a substance which is secreted by two small follicular glands placed at its base.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1895; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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