noun
- Plural of desman; small, aquatic or semi-aquatic mammals of the family Desmanidae, found in Europe and Asia, resembling moles with elongated snouts and webbed feet.
Usage: zoology; plural form
Examples
- Desmans are rarely seen because they spend most of their time in water or underground burrows.
- The Pyrenean desman is one of the most endangered desmans in Europe.
- Desmans use their sensitive snouts to hunt for invertebrates in freshwater streams.
- Scientists study desmans to understand how they adapt to aquatic environments.
- Several species of desmans are protected by conservation laws due to habitat loss.