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Russian Desmans (Desmana moschata) are semi-aquatic creatures related to moles, with an unusual appearance of rounded bodies, paddle-like feet, flattened tails and long snouts to help them dive and probe for prey underwater. They are the only species that still exist within their genus, and are restricted nowadays to few waterways in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Sadly, numbers of these small mole-mermaids are plummeting: Russian Desmans have been “up-listed” from Endangered to Critically Endangered in the latest IUCN Red List Update (Monday 11th December).  

Based on surveys undertaken in Russia, the decline of this species is estimated to have reached 83% over the previous decade, and it likely facing a similar scenario across the remainder of its fragmented range in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Scientists have suggested that there are probably less than 4,000 individuals remaining in Russia, and potentially only a few hundred in Ukraine.  

Russian Desman (Photo credit Klaus Rudloff)

Russian Desmans have rather strict habitat requirements. They prefer waterbodies 2-6 m in depth with rich water-marsh vegetation, bushes and primary forests along the banks, and with high macroinvertebrate abundance.

It is no surprise, then, that infrastructure-, climate- or pollution-induced changes to waterbodies can have devastating impacts on habitat quality for this species. Perhaps more lethally, the widespread use of stationary fishing nets poses a major threat to desmans. The nets, which are prohibited in many regions, are often left in the water for days or even months, drowning any desmans that accidentally get caught. Introduced predators, e.g., American Mink (Neogale vison), and possible competitors, e.g., Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), may also be a problem.

What’s next? 

In Kazakhstan, the SMSG is supporting a new conservation project with the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and researchers at North Kazakhstan University. Initially, the project will explore methods of monitoring desmans, including interview surveys with local water users and environmental DNA screening. Read more about this in our recent article here.

Russian Desmans are often referred to as bioindicators of ecosystem health. Their decline is therefore concerning for freshwater habitats and species on a much broader scale, and it is critical that every effort is made to conserve and, ultimately, downlist Russian Desmans on the Red List.

Russian Desman (Photo credit Klaus_Rudloff)

The Iberian Desman

Desmans are semi-aquatic small mammals that are members of the Talpidae mole family. The Iberian Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula, where it is restricted to Andorra, France, northern and central Spain, and northern Portugal. It is one of only two species that still exist, the other being the Russian Desman (Desmana moschata), that is found in areas of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

The species is extremely well adapted to a semiaquatic lifestyle, where it mainly lives in fast-flowing mountain streams. The species favours watercourses where the margins offer some shelter, and it requires clean and well oxygenated water, mostly due to the requirements of its main prey, aquatic macroinvertebrates. It is therefore a good indicator species for healthy river systems.

Galemys pyrenaicus, photo credit: L. Quaglietta

In recent decades, the Iberian Desman has experienced significant declines across most of its range, resulting in its current IUCN Red List status of Endangered. Unfortunately, the species is affected by a number of threats. The construction of weirs, dams and other infrastructure has isolated populations to the point of high levels of inbreeding and low levels of genetic diversity. The introduction of an invasive predator to many of Europe’s waterways, the American Mink (Neogale vison), has also proven deadly. Further pressure is added by climate change and human activities such as fishing.

The Workshop

Iberian Desman workshop 2023 sign

In late November 2023, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation organised a workshop in Andorra La Vella, Andorra, titled “Towards a transboundary conservation strategy for the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus)“. This meeting brought together species experts from the four range countries. The workshop was made possible thanks to the generous support and hosting of the event by the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Agriculture of the Government of Andorra. Facilitation of the sessions was undertaken by the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group.

On the final day, participants visited a local hydroelectric plant and dam on the outskirts of Andorra La Vella to find out about the ongoing desman survey work that is taking place and about various mitigations activities to reduce the impact of the infrastructure on the desman population.

Iberian Desman workshop participants 2023

Iberian Desman workshop presentation 2023

Iberian Desman workshop 2023 field trip

Iberian Desman workshop 2023 activity

What’s next?

The workshop was the first stage needed to do the groundwork, such as identifying relevant stakeholders for the planning process, in anticipation of a longer action planning exercise which will hopefully take place in 2024.

Recently, we heard someone trying to describe what a Russian Desman (Desmana moschata) looks like and the delightful response was that it resembled a mole-mermaid!  Unfortunately, life is no fairytale for this species. Currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, it is expected that the species will be moved to Critically Endangered later this year due to continuing severe declines. Conservation attention is desperately needed, so the SMSG is pleased to be supporting a new conservation project in Kazakhstan. We hope this work, in collaboration with experts across the species’ native range, will contribute to the understanding of the threats to the species and be instrumental in developing conservation actions.  

So, what exactly is a Russian Desman?

The Russian Desman (Desmana moschata), an aquatic member of the mole family, is endemic to waterways in European Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The species is pretty unusual, indeed, it features high up on ZSL’s EDGE Mammal List. To get an idea of what this unusual animal is like check out this video. The species is in severe decline, probably due to a number of factors ranging from loss and degradation of lakes and rivers, through to getting snagged up as bycatch in fishing nets.

Abandoned fishing net in lake (Photo credit: R. Kennerley)

June expedition

In June of 2023, Dr Ros Kennerley (SMSG Co-Chair) and Prof. Sam Turvey (SMSG Conservation Coordinator) visited the stunning rivers and oxbow lakes that surround the Ural river in northwestern Kazakhstan to start a conservation project in the region.  The in-country partners for this project are the Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan (ACBK) and researchers at North Kazakhstan University. One of the project fieldsites is Kirsanov Nature Sanctuary, which is a vast expanse of meandering rivers and lakes with wooded banks that borders Russia.

Kazakhstan Russian Desman team – Dr Ros Kennerley, Prof. Sam Turvey, Dr Alyona Koshkina and Michail Shpigelman

Fieldwork in Kirsanov Nature Sanctuary in Northwest Kazakhstan (photo credit: R. Kennerley)

Visiting an oxbow lake (Photo credit: A. Koshkina)

What is happening? 

Field staff have been trained up and are currently out and about testing novel ways to collect the essential data needed to monitor and inform conservation actions. Interview surveys with local water users and environmental DNA screening are being trialled in known desman landscapes, and the results of these will be compared with data collected using traditional methods to monitor desmans by counting active burrows. The project aims to determine which approach is most efficient, cost- and labour-effective, and easy to conduct by local researchers.

Trialing a Local Ecological Knowledge questionnaire (photo credit: R. Kennerley)

Next steps

While we await the data and analyses from the trials, the project will examine the historical distributions of the species across the country and use various mapping data layers to unpick the likely causes of decline in Kazakhstan. Ultimately, the project aims to develop a long-term conservation monitoring and management plan with agreed goals, visions, milestones and stakeholder responsibilities, at both national and landscape levels.

We would like to express our huge thanks to our three funders for this project: The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, SSC EDGE Internal Grant, and Stiftung Artenschutz. We are also grateful for the support to our SMSG core costs from Re:wild, the Zoological Society of London and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

During my 7-week internship with the IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group, I acquired invaluable experience and knowledge in the fields of small mammal conservation and research. My primary responsibility was to create a field guide dedicated to Sulawesi’s small mammals, a significant outcome of the Sulawesi workshop held in May 2023. This task involved meticulously compiling resources from red list assessments and articles to develop up-to-date species profiles for Sulawesi’s endemic rodents and shrews. Additionally, I generated range maps for each species, enhancing my proficiency in R programming. I also participated in the review process of an article intended for publication, and was tasked with seeking funding opportunities to support the publication of the field guide. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a resource that will directly benefit researchers and students in Sulawesi.

Prior to this experience, having just completed my undergraduate degree, I held the belief that academia was the sole avenue for pursuing a career in biology. However, this internship has broadened my perspective, revealing that roles involving research and conservation need not be mutually exclusive. Moreover, it has provided me the opportunity to establish valuable connections that will be undoubtedly beneficial for my future career in conservation. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to Ros and Abi, whose support and warm welcome into the organisation have made this internship a truly enriching experience.

Imagine a feathery-tailed, round rabbit-like creature munching on grasses in the mountains of Patagonia. This is Wolffsohn’s Viscacha Lagidium wolffsohni, and despite possessing long, rabbity ears, viscachas are actually rodents, most closely related to chinchillas. 

Wolffsohn’s Viscacha: Dario Podesta

There are five extant species of viscacha, all native to South America. Wolffsohn’s Viscacha – officially described in 1907 after J.A. Wolffsohn donated several specimens to the British Museum – is known from the Sierra de los Baguales mountain range crossing southern Argentina and Chile. Viscachas are found across a variety of elevations, favouring rocky cliffs and outcrops. As zoologist Pearson (1948) once put it: “no rocks, no viscachas”.  

Wolffsohn’s Viscachas prefer very steep areas where they have been observed living in colonies and reproducing only once annually (or potentially even less). However, not much else is known about this species. On the IUCN Red List, it remains categorised as Data Deficient.  

Between a rock and a hard place 

Being listed as Data Deficient does not mean that Wolffsohn’s Viscachas are without threat. This species was historically hunted for fur and food by the first inhabitants of Patagonia, and may still be occasionally hunted today. It could also be vulnerable to climate change and the associated impacts upon habitat availability. Other species of viscacha, such as the Southern Viscacha Lagidium viscacia, are reported to be threatened by disturbance, habitat loss and fragmentation, and some colonies are nowadays restricted to isolated patches. 

Quantifying the threats and population trends of Wolffsohn’s Viscachas will be key to updating and understanding the conservation status of this species. This is a knowledge gap that one of the SMSG’s newest members, Morgan Pendaries, is hoping to fill. Morgan is working on a PhD project that will gather ecology, demographic and threat data of Wolffsohn’s Viscacha.  

Working with Wolffsohn’s Viscacha. Left: Morgan Pendaries. Middle, right: Gonzalo Pardo.

Conducting the research alongside Programa Patagonia, Morgan has been carrying out viscacha surveys since 2018. “What I really enjoy about the work after 5 years of study is going to the field and observing the viscachas,” Morgan says. “They are such a gorgeous and curious species that I’m always really happy to just observe them.” 

The work involves capture-mark-recapture surveys as well as efforts to gather data on the social dynamics of a colony, habitat use and interactions with other wildlife. Interviews with local people are also an important element – Morgan and the team want to learn more about viscachas using local knowledge, but also understand public perceptions of these animals.  

Morgan’s work will ultimately help to inform the Red List reassessment of Wolffsohn’s Viscacha and, if needed, drive conservation plans forward for this species. In the meantime, we are looking forward to reading any future research updates on this unusual, rabbity rodent! 

If you’d like to learn more about the project and Programa Patagonia’s work in general, check out their Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/programapatagonia/.