On the trail of a strange small mammal

I have been waiting to find time to post on this at length and it's just not happening, so you should all go and read this excellent article from the BBC about the Pyrenean desman, a small aquatic mammal described by the reporter as looking like "a strange mish-mash of creatures - part rat, part mole, part platypus," and furthermore:

It has a huge nose - like a miniature version of an elephant's trunk - framed with long whiskers and beady little eyes. Its front paws are tiny, but its back feet are huge - and webbed. It's topped off by a thick, scaly tail.

Nice! Even a scientist studying the little-known animal says "It really is one of Europe's strangest creatures."

-Wombat (No Relation)