Giant otter shrews have a dense undercoat and coarse guard hairs that are dark brown on the upper side and whitish on the underside. Their flat and broad muzzle is covered with whiskers and has flaps that can be closed when they dive. The tail is covered with short, silky fur and flattened laterally to allow them to swim with a fish-like motion.
They build their burrows with an entrance that is below the water level. They are nocturnal hunters that forage along the riverbank and within the pool for prey such as crabs, frogs, fishes, insects, freshwater prawns, and mollusks. Instead of eyesight, they depend on their sensitive whiskers when hunting.
Distribution
Angola
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
Kenya
Nigeria
Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda
ZambiaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
