The Pyrenean Desman – Europe’s strangest little animal!

Just when you thought that you had a pretty comprehensive knowledge of all of the European animals, you accidentally stumble across a hamster-sized specimen that looks like it belongs to another world or, at the very least, should be in a South American jungle.

You do not find these little furry wonders in England or any other European country for that matter. You can find them in Catalonia though, in the Pyrenees to be precise. The name of the beast is the Desman.

The first thing that you notice is that the Pyrenean Desman have a big nose and look like a cross between a rat, a mole and a big-nosed anteater or a duck billed Platypus! They live in the rivers and streams of the Pyrenees and they mostly come out at night, which is the main reason why there have not been too many Desman sightings by humans.

As hard as the Pyrenean Desman is to spot without undertaking a night time Desman spotting vigil, biologists and scientists of the Catalonian Pyrenees have established that this odd little creature is endangered. Pollution is likely to be one culprit of the Desman’s slow drop in numbers, but on the other hand it could be said that it is due to the rivers in the Pyrenees flowing pure enough for this charming little critter to survive.

There is a bigger version of the Pyrenean Desman in Russia. These creatures, both in Russia and the Pyrenees, have been on our earth for 30 million years and now, and unfortunately we could well be looking at the last of a long family line. Of course the nocturnal habits of this creature have kept it away from man’s prying eyes, as has its aquatic habitat.

Scientists from France and Spain who are studying the Pyrenean Desman are doing their best to help this animal keep going for another 30 million years. There has been some success in Russia where the Desman has been introduced into suitable areas and has thrived. The same must be done in the Pyrenees and this creature’s environment must be expanded throughout Catalonia or we will lose another of the earth’s marvels simply because of human greed and lack of sense.

Of course you may catch sight of these highly elusive creatures occasionally during the daytime just as you may sporadically see a badger in the UK. So when you are next in the Pyrenees take a long look in the rivers and streams, if you see a small grey animal swimming with great skill and speed, you may well be looking at the last of a 30-million-year-old species.