How big does a Giant otter shrew get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:
A grown Giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) reaches an average size of 32 cm (1′ 1″).
When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). A full-grown exemplary reaches roughly 685 grams (1.51 lbs). Talking about reproduction, Giant otter shrews have 2 babies about 2 times per year. The Giant otter shrew (genus: Potamogale) is a member of the family Tenrecidae.
As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.
The giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox) is a semiaquatic, carnivorous afrotherian mammal. It is found in the main rainforest block of central Africa from Nigeria to Zambia, with a few isolated populations in Kenya and Uganda. It lives in streams, wetlands and slow flowing larger rivers. It is monotypic in the genus Potamogale. Otter shrews are most closely related to the tenrecs of Madagascar.Contrary to its name, the giant otter shrew is not a true shrew (Soricidae). The common name refers to their resemblance to otters with their flat face and stiff whiskers, and the otter shrews’ overall superficial similarity to true shrews. They are nocturnal carnivores that feed on aquatic animals.
Animals of the same family as a Giant otter shrew
We found other animals of the Tenrecidae family:
- Greater hedgehog tenrec with a size of 18.5 cm (0′ 8″)
- Mole-like rice tenrec with a size of 10.4 cm (0′ 5″)
- Naked-nosed shrew tenrec with a weight of 18 grams
- Pygmy shrew tenrec with a size of 5.6 cm (0′ 3″)
- Dobson’s shrew tenrec with 2 babies per litter
- Lowland streaked tenrec with a size of 17.5 cm (0′ 7″)
- Cowan’s shrew tenrec with a size of 6.3 cm (0′ 3″)
- Lesser long-tailed shrew tenrec with a weight of 8 grams
- Talazac’s shrew tenrec with a size of 15 cm (0′ 6″)
- Tailless tenrec with a size of 32.7 cm (1′ 1″)
Animals with the same size as a Giant otter shrew
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Giant otter shrew:
- Red acouchi with a size of 36.3 cm (1′ 3″)
- Short-beaked echidna with a size of 37.6 cm (1′ 3″)
- Weyland ringtail possum with a size of 31 cm (1′ 1″)
- Northern sportive lemur with a size of 28 cm (1′ 0″)
- Common kusimanse with a size of 33.9 cm (1′ 2″)
- Philippine flying lemur with a size of 38 cm (1′ 3″)
- Water opossum with a size of 29.7 cm (1′ 0″)
- New Britain water rat with a size of 29.2 cm (1′ 0″)
- Sunda flying lemur with a size of 38 cm (1′ 3″)
- Siberian weasel with a size of 30.6 cm (1′ 1″)
Animals with the same litter size as a Giant otter shrew
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (2) as a Giant otter shrew:
- Long-nosed echymipera
- Eurasian beaver
- Rüppell’s fox
- Djoongari
- Radde’s shrew
- Moss-forest rat
- Southern African spiny mouse
- Lesser bilby
- Mexican woodrat
- Moon forest shrew
Animals with the same weight as a Giant otter shrew
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Potamogale velox:
- Marbled polecat bringing 594 grams to the scale
- Black squirrel monkey bringing 784 grams to the scale
- Superagüi lion tamarin bringing 605 grams to the scale
- Bengal mongoose bringing 741 grams to the scale
- Eastern lowland olingo bringing 620 grams to the scale
- Bismarck giant rat bringing 612 grams to the scale
- Gray-bellied night monkey bringing 800 grams to the scale
- Greater bandicoot rat bringing 583 grams to the scale
- Long-nosed bandicoot bringing 720 grams to the scale
- Lord Derby’s scaly-tailed squirrel bringing 665 grams to the scale