# Otter shrew (*Microgale mergulus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/otter-shrew  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The otter shrew (Microgale mergulus) is a species in the family Tenrecidae, order Afrosoricida. Recorded adults weigh 77.7 g to 78.6 g.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 78.6 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.87 |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Afrosoricida
- family: Tenrecidae
- genus: Microgale
- species: *Microgale mergulus* (Major, 1896)

Synonyms: *Limnogale mergulus*

## Common questions

### How big is the otter shrew?

An adult otter shrew weighs 78.6 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### What kind of animal is the otter shrew?

The otter shrew (Microgale mergulus) belongs to the family Tenrecidae in the order Afrosoricida.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).

Cite as: Otter shrew (Microgale mergulus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/otter-shrew