Desmana moschata (Linneaus 1758; 20cm body + 18cm tail) is the extant Russian desman a functionally blind ancestor to the hedgehog tenrec (below) convergent with the shrew-mole, Uropsilus, in the LRT. Note the rodent-like incisors and loss of the lateral temporal bar. The canine is tiny. The soft tissue of the snout is bilobed and quite sensitive. The hind feet are webbed. The tail is flattened, specializations for it aquatic environment.