noun
Japanese water shrew
A small semiaquatic mammal native to Japan, Chimarrogale platycephala. Typically written in kana.
カワネズミは清流に生息する小さな哺乳類です。
The Japanese water shrew is a small mammal that lives in clear streams.
Compound of 川 (kawa, 'river') and 鼠 (nezumi, 'rat/mouse'), literally 'river rat'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but the name describes its habitat and appearance.