Rings of scales encircle the tail, with a few hairs growing between them. The hind feet are webbed to the tips of the toes, and along the edges of the feet there are fringes of stiff hairs that further increase the surface for swimming. The forefeet are partially webbed and also have hair-fringed edges. The furry coat is made up of a short, dense, plushlike underfur and longer, coarser guard hairs. The color above is a rich reddish brown, shading to ashy gray beneath with a silvery sheen in certain lights.
Females have four pairs of mammae.
The Russian desman is aquatic, preferring quiet freshwater streams, lakes, and ponds. Both the tail and the feet are used to propel the animal through the water. The den consists of a chamber in the stream bank above the high water level and near the surface of the ground. It has no entrances above the ground but is located below bushes or a stump so that air is provided through the root system. A nest of leaves or moss is constructed in the chamber.