biology

Nimba otter shrew

Nimba otter shrew is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nimba otter shrew rather than just read about it. In short: The Nimba otter shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei) is a dwarf otter shrew and belongs to the mammal family Potamogalidae. Otter shrews are shrew-like afrotherian mammals found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Key takeaways

Nimba otter shrew belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nimba otter shrew to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nimba otter shrew from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Nimba otter shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei) is a dwarf otter shrew and belongs to the mammal family Potamogalidae. Otter shrews are shrew-like afrotherian mammals found in sub-Saharan Africa. They are most closely related to the tenrecs of Madagascar. This species belongs to the genus Micropotamogale, literally meaning "tiny river weasel". It is native to the Mount Nimba area which rests along the border of Liberia, Guinea, and Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa.

Description The Nimba otter shrew is a small-bodied mammal. Weighing only about 125 g (4.4 oz) it has a body length of 15–22 cm (5.9–8.7 in) with a quarter to a third of its body size being its tail. It has been described as a "miniature sea otter with a rat tail". Its pelage is long, hiding its ears and eyes, and almost always universally colored (usually brown, but black and gray otter shrews have been spotted).

Evolution and life history The Nimba otter shrew is classified as a member of Potamogalidae, which is related to afrotherian tenrecs, based on morphological structures. Molecular data also support the relationship. Unfortunately, due to heavy mining operations for iron ore in the Mount Nimba area, the fossil record is all but destroyed. It is also difficult for scientists to gain access because the mountain crosses the borders of three different countries.

Ecology and behavior The Nimba otter shrew is nocturnal and semiaquatic. It resides in soft soils around creek beds and streams. It is a solitary creature and has only been seen with other shrews during mating seasons and when a mother is nursing newly born young. The breeding pattern of the Nimba otter shrew is also unknown, but believed to be polygamous; as there have been no witnessed accounts of breeding in the wild and the Nimba otter shrew has not mated in captivity.

Conservation status The IUCN had listed the Nimba otter shrew as endangered in 1990, but in 2018 the status was changed to vulnerable. The species is confined to an area of less than 5,000 km² on Mount Nimba, which is currently fragmented due to mining and wetland rice agriculture. The mining operations also produce runoff into the creeks and streambeds that is highly toxic. The current population is decreasing at a rate of 1 per 10 km² (almost 500 otter shrews per year). Although an exact number is unknown at this time, there is believed to be less than 2500–3500 individuals in the wild; there are none in captivity. At this rate the Nimba otter shrew was predicted to be extinct between 2017 and 2020. The population within Liberia's East Nimba Nature Reserve was reported healthy in 2013. The species is also present in the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve of Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, but this reserve is adjacent to a mining operation and is not fully protected from poaching.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nimba otter shrew

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nimba otter shrew claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nimba otter shrew before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nimba otter shrew ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nimba otter shrew

In research: Nimba otter shrew appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nimba otter shrew in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nimba otter shrew is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Afrosoricida, Aquatic mammals, EDGE species, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nimba otter shrew outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nimba otter shrew in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nimba otter shrew means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nimba otter shrew out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nimba otter shrew in simple terms?

The Nimba otter shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei) is a dwarf otter shrew and belongs to the mammal family Potamogalidae. Otter shrews are shrew-like afrotherian mammals found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Why does Nimba otter shrew matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nimba otter shrew?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nimba otter shrew.