Townsend's Mole
| Townsend's Mole[1] | |
|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Soricomorpha |
| Family: | Talpidae |
| Genus: | Scapanus |
| Species: | S. townsendii |
| Binomial name | |
| Scapanus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) |
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| Townsend's Mole range | |
The Townsend's Mole, Scapanus townsendii, is the largest North American mole.
It is found in open lowland areas and open wooded areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California. This animal's total range in Canada is estimated to be 20 km² (7.7 sq mi).
This animal has velvety black fur, a pointed snout and a short thick nearly hairless tail. It is about 21 centimetres (8.3 in) in length including a 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long tail and weighs about 138 grams (4.9 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging; the rear paws are smaller. It has 44 teeth. Its ears are not visible and it has small eyes. It is similar in appearance to the smaller Coast Mole.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, small invertebrates and plant material. It is active year round.
This animal is mainly solitary except during mating in late winter. The female has a litter of 2 to 4 young in a deep underground burrow.
This animal was named after the American naturalist John Kirk Townsend, who first described it.
[edit] References
- ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 302. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ Hammerson, G. & Cannings, S. (2008). "Scapanus townsendii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/41475. Retrieved 09 February 2010.
[edit] External links
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