The otter shrew is a large semi-aquatic mammal from Central Africa. It swims excellently thanks to its flat tail and hunts aquatic animals in the rivers of tropical forests.
The otter shrew differs from other shrews in its large size, flat tail, and aquatic life. It is important for nature because it regulates the population of fish and other aquatic animals in African rivers.
homogamy, reproduction always with fertilization, no alternation of generations
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Worker
Tail size
birth time
aquatic insects
breeding
Heavy rains in summer
live adult frogs and toads
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
very hot and very humid all year round, rain almost every day
days
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
very heavy rains in summer, almost no precipitation in winter
adult
Maturity
crabs
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Coconut
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Snout color
Repro interval
results
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
hot, rains in summer, little precipitation in winter
live fish
Uses an excavated underground tunnel or chamber for refuge or nesting.
little precipitation in winter, more in summer
Trophic type
Filters
always hot and humid, huge trees and vines
Upcoming birthdays
eggs, roe or offspring develop in a nest built on the ground or close to it
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
in a burrow
young are born live on land, not hatched from eggs or roe
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Hot, little precipitation in winter
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
Age (larva)
world of Australasia
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Feet size
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Freshwater habitat consisting of flowing river channels and banks.
Business sausages
Lifespan average
in a terrestrial nest
young after fast growth
Juvenile stage following larval metamorphosis but not yet adult.
live birth
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
hot, there is a dry season, trees shed their leaves
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
fish
end of acceleration
Share
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
nest hidden in an underground burrow
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
from 0.5 to 0.8 kilograms, 0.5 – 1 meter
Pets
Tropical dry broadleaf forest
{name} jubilee
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
turns
Rascals
terrestrial forest
Tail color
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Litter size
live crabs, shrimps, lobsters
Tropical savanna
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
hunting in water
Where are they found?
nest hidden in an underground burrow, only the mother provides parental care for the offspring
all rivers and lakes
insects living in water or near water — mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies
Low precipitation in winter
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Tropical moist forest
Elders
Bro
normal sexual
Taxons
carnivore
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
age
birth date
rivers
swimming
soil
rest
Fur color
Close
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
Neotropical realm
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
primary food sources
burrow
Potential Habitat
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
islands and part of Australia, many unusual animals and plants
aquatic
land
{name} birthday
aquatic insects
Always hot
No results found
Hot with heavy summer rains
On the map
all life stages
Female ♀
world of Afrotropics
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
birth year
Shelter used specifically for reproduction or nesting.
Maturity
caring mother
terrestrial habitat, land surface outside water
sq mm
yr
Snout size
protection from sun
How similar?
Male ♂
until the celebration
baby / chick
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
from birth to adulthood
Young offspring still dependent on parental care.
What do they eat?
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
from birth to death
early young
forests on land — tropical, temperate, boreal
world of Afrotropics
Freshwater
Duration
frogs
fish
Always hot and wet
This is me
freshwater
Gamers
hot, heavy rains in summer, little precipitation in winter
How are they built?
frogs and toads
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
terrestrial
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
active predation
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
inhabit and develop on land, outside water bodies
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
very hot all year round, frequent rains, but sometimes dry
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
Hermaphrodite ⚥
embryo
Length
kg
Observations
◉{N} more on tap