Nectogalini is a tribe of Old World within the family Soricidae. As of late 2007, it consisted of six extant genus and 25 species, with some of the latter being further divided into subspecies. Some, but not all members of the tribe are semiaquatic.
Adaptation to semiaquatic life
Members of this tribe that are associated with a
semiaquatic mode of life (
Chimarrogale,
Nectogale, and
Neomys) have developed several lifestyle adaptations. For example, some species have stiff hairs on the sides of their toes and feet, both on their fore and hind limbs. These increase the surface area of the feet, assisting in locomotion during swimming. In addition, species such as
Neomys fodiens have developed elongated tails with the hairs forming a keel-like shape that is similar in function to a rudder when the animal is in the water.
[Churchfield, Sara, 1990. The Natural History of Shrews. C. Helm/A & C Black, 178 pp.]
Genera
Phylogeny of Nectogalini based on DNA and morphological characters after Bover et al. (2018).
