Russian desman  (Desmana moschata)

Brackish: Slightly salty water.
Crustaceans: Diverse group of arthropods (a phylum of animals with jointed limbs and a hard chitinous exoskeleton) characterised by the possession of two pairs of antennae, one pair of mandibles (parts of the mouthparts used for handling and processing food) and two pairs of maxillae (appendages used in eating, which are located behind the mandibles). Includes crabs, lobsters, shrimps, slaters, woodlice and barnacles.
Molluscs: A diverse group of invertebrates, mainly marine, that have one or all of the following; a horny, toothed ribbon in the mouth (the radula), a shell covering the upper surface of the body, and a mantle or mantle cavity with a type of gill. Includes snails, slugs, shellfish, octopuses and squid.
Nocturnal: Active at night.
Pleistocene: A geological time period from approximately 2 million years ago until 10,000 years ago.

1. IUCN Red List (October, 2002)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org
   
2. Stone, R.D. (1995) Eurasian Insectivores and Tree Shrews - Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
   
3. Macdonald, D. (2001) The New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
   
4. The Russian Desman: An Introduction (Bryansk Forest Film Studio 2002)