Potamogalidae is the family of "otter shrews", a group of semiaquatic riverine afrotherian mammals indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa.[2] They are most closely related to the tenrecs of Madagascar, from which they are thought to have split about 47–53 million years ago.[2][3][4] They were formerly considered a subfamily of Tenrecidae.[2]
All otter shrews are carnivorous, preying on any aquatic animal they can find with their sensitive whiskers, particularly insects.[5] As their common name suggests, they bear a strong, but superficial resemblance to true otters to which they are not closely related, nor are they closely related to true shrews. They move through the water by undulating their tail in a side-to-side motion similar to the motions made by a crocodile swimming.
^Crespo, V.D.; Cruzado-Caballero, P.; Castillo, C. (September 2023). "First afrosoricid out of Africa: an example of Pliocene 'tourism' in Europe". Palaeoworld. 32 (3): 367–372. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2023.03.006.
^ abcEverson, K. M.; Soarimalala, V.; Goodman, S. M.; Olson, L. E. (2016). "Multiple Loci and Complete Taxonomic Sampling Resolve the Phylogeny and Biogeographic History of Tenrecs (Mammalia: Tenrecidae) and Reveal Higher Speciation Rates in Madagascar's Humid Forests". Systematic Biology. 65 (5): 890–909. doi:10.1093/sysbio/syw034. PMID 27103169.
^Douady, C. J.; Catzeflis, F.; Kao, D. J.; Springer, M. S.; Stanhope, M. J. (2002). "Molecular Evidence for the Monophyly of Tenrecidae (Mammalia) and the Timing of the Colonization of Madagascar by Malagasy Tenrecs". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 22 (3): 357–363. doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.1055. PMID 11884160.
^Poux, C.; Madsen, O.; Glos, J.; de Jong, W. W.; Vences, M. (2008). "Molecular phylogeny and divergence times of Malagasy tenrecs: Influence of data partitioning and taxon sampling on dating analyses". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 8 (1): 102. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-8-102. PMC 2330147. PMID 18377639.
Potamogalidae is the family of "otter shrews", a group of semiaquatic riverine afrotherian mammals indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. They are most closely...
indicated that Chrysochloridae (golden moles), Tenrecidae (tenrecs), and Potamogalidae (otter shrews) should also be separated as a new order Afrosoricida...
Chrysochloridae, or golden moles, and Tenrecomorpha containing the families Potamogalidae, or otter shrews, and Tenrecidae, or tenrecs. Chrysochloridae is split...
List of mammals of Madagascar Pickford, Martin (2015). "Late Eocene Potamogalidae and Tenrecidae (Mammalia) from the Sperrgebiet, Namibia" (PDF). Communications...
Insectivora, Chrysochloridae (golden moles), Tenrecidae (tenrecs), and Potamogalidae (otter shrews). However, molecular studies found the golden moles, tenrecs...
order Afrosoricida family Chrysochloridae family Tenrecidae family Potamogalidae Afroinsectivora in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved September 2017...
Afroinsectiphilia Order Afrosoricida Suborder Tenrecomorpha Family Potamogalidae: otter shrews; 3 species in 2 genera Family Tenrecidae: tenrecs; 31...
Afrosoricida Family Tenrecidae: (31 species), tenrecs (Madagascar) Family Potamogalidae: (3 species), otter-shrews (West and Central Africa) Family Chrysochloridae:...
(Micropotamogale lamottei) is a dwarf otter shrew and belongs to the mammal family Potamogalidae. Otter shrews are shrew-like afrotherian mammals found in sub-Saharan...
ruwenzorii) is a species of semiaquatic dwarf otter shrew of the family Potamogalidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda...
Setifer – greater hedgehog tenrec Genus Tenrec – common tenrec Family Potamogalidae Genus Micropotamogale – otter shrews Genus Potamogale – giant otter...
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