Thermal Regimen of the Habitats of the Russian Desman (Desmana moschata, Talpidae, Soricomorpha)

Abstract—Seasonal changes in soil and water temperature in forest (Klyazma River) and meadow (Oka River) floodplains inhabited by the Russian desman have been studied. The temperature range in the animal’s habitat is 0 to 7°C in winter and 8 to 23°C in summer. The desman is not exposed to negative temperatures in burrows during the winter due to the large volume of water and the presence of groundwater. © 2019, Pleiades Publishing, Inc.