Muzzles of Limnogale (top) and Microgale drouhardi (from Benstead and Olson, in press)

Of the over 125 mammal species found on Madagascar, Limnogale is the only one adapted to a semiaquatic niche. All of its 25 relatives comprising the Malagasy tenrecs are terrestrial, and it bears little ecological, morphological, or behavioral resemblance to its closest tenrec relatives, the shrew-tenrecs (genus Microgale). The superficial similarities it shares with the African otter shrews (the closest living relatives of the Malagasy tenrecs), which are also semiaquatic, represent a stunning example of convergent evolution (Olson, 1999; Olson and Goodman, in press).

Noteworthy among its numerous semiaquatic adaptations (reviewed by Benstead and Olson, in press) are its webbed hindfeet, enlarged muzzle and whiskers, and relatively large body size (heavier by far than any shrew-tenrec).

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