Giant otter shrew: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the giant otter shrew lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Potamogale velox
Group	Pangolins, hyraxes & other mammals
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	Africa
Class	Mammal
Order	Afrosoricida
Family	Potamogalidae

Where does the giant otter shrew live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the giant otter shrew in 2 countries and territories across Africa.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the giant otter shrew endangered?

The giant otter shrew’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the giant otter shrew?

The giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) is a mammal in the order Afrosoricida and the family Potamogalidae, genus Potamogale. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the giant otter shrew

The giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) is a semiaquatic, carnivorous afrotherian mammal. It is found in the main rainforest block of central Africa from Nigeria to Zambia, with a few isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. It lives in streams, wetlands and slow flowing larger rivers. It is the only species in the genus Potamogale. Otter shrews are most closely related to the tenrecs of Madagascar.

They are nocturnal carnivores that feed on aquatic animals. Despite its name, the giant otter shrew is neither a true shrew (Soricidae) or otter (Lutrinae). The common name refers to their resemblance to otters with their flat face, stiff whiskers, and muscular tails, and to their overall superficial similarity to true shrews.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Giant otter shrew (revision 1313995131), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q474780 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).