The Russian desman ("Desmana moschata") is a type of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is the largest type of mole. It is found in the Volga, Don and Ural River basins in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It digs burrows into the banks of ponds and slow-moving streams. It prefers small, overgrown ponds with lots of insects, crayfish and amphibians. The Russian desman often lives in small groups of two to five of them that are usually not related.