Pyrenean Desman

On The Trail Of Europe's Weirdest Beast

The Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is a small semiaquatic mammal that lives in the Pyrenees to the Iberian Peninsula. It inhabits mountain streams and has been described as 'Europe's weirdest beast.'

The Pyrenean desman was once thought to be widespread across mountain ranges in France, Spain and Portugal. But now Catalonia's Alt Pirineu Natural Park is one of the last strongholds for this species. It's about the size of a hamster, with a glossy grey coat. It has a huge nose framed with long whiskers and beady little eyes. Its front paws are tiny, but its back feet are huge - and webbed. It's topped off by a thick, scaly tail.