otter shrew

a chiefly aquatic insectivore, Potamogale velox, of western Africa, that resembles an otter, having sleek, brown fur and a flattened tail. Also called potamogale.

* * *

▪ mammal

 any of three species of amphibious and carnivorous tropical African insectivores (insectivore) that are not “true” shrews (shrew) (family Soricidae). All are nocturnal and den in cavities and burrows in stream banks; tunnel entrances are underwater. Otter shrews have small eyes and ears and a fleshy broad, flat muzzle that ends in a leathery pad. The muzzle is covered abundantly with sensitive whiskers. The margins of the hind feet have fringes of skin, and the second and third toes are fused.

      The giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) has the body form, fur texture, and coloration of a river otter but is smaller. It weighs less than 400 grams (0.9 pound) and has a body 27 to 33 cm (11 to 13 inches) long and a slightly shorter tail. More shrewlike in appearance are the two dwarf species (genus Micropotamogale), the Ruwenzori otter shrew (M. ruwenzorii) and the Nimba otter shrew (M. lamottei), which weigh 60 to 150 grams and have a body 12 to 20 cm long and a shorter tail. The water-repellent fur of all three is soft and dense. The feet are webbed in the Ruwenzori otter shrew but unwebbed in the other two species. The giant and Ruwenzori otter shrews have brown upperparts and white or yellowish underparts; the Nimba shrew is uniformly brownish gray. The tails of the three species differ. The giant otter shrew has a vertically flat, finely furred tail; the Ruwenzori's is round with stiff hairs forming keels on the upper and lower surfaces; and that of the Nimba otter shrew is simply round.

      The giant water shrew is fast, propelling itself through the water with side-to-side movements of its back and tail in a sinusoidal motion. The hind feet are held tightly against the tail, and this results in a streamlined body configuration. The dwarf shrews use their feet to swim and dive, and they often float on the surface, buoyed by their fur. Prey is caught underwater but usually is eaten on shore. The giant water shrew prefers freshwater crabs, which it flips over and kills with a quick bite. The shrew then tears the soft underside to get at the flesh. Aquatic mollusks, aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, fish, and frogs are also eaten. The dwarf otter shrews prefer earthworms and aquatic insect larvae and nymphs, but they also prey on small crabs, fish, and frogs. Giant water shrews give birth to one or two offspring; dwarf water shrews produce one to four.

      The giant water shrew has the broadest distribution, occurring in central Africa from Nigeria south to Angola and east to the Rift Valley (East African Rift System), from sea level to 1,800 metres (5,900 feet). The Nimba shrew is known only from the Nimba Range region of western Africa. The Ruwenzori shrew is restricted to the Ruwenzori (Ruwenzori Range) region of Uganda and Zaire. All inhabit lowland and montane tropical rainforests (rainforest). The giant otter shrew is found in fast-flowing mountain streams, large, fast rivers, sluggish coastal streams, and swamps. Dwarf otter shrews are associated with mountain and lowland fast-flowing streams and small rivers in forests, savannas, and cultivated fields.

      Otter shrews make up a subfamily (Potamogalinae) of the family Tenrecidae (order Soricimorpha), which belongs to a larger group of mammals referred to as insectivores. The otter shrews' closest living relatives are the tenrecs (tenrec) of Madagascar, particularly the amphibious tenrec (Limnogale mergulus).

* * *