Eastern Mole
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| ?Eastern Mole Conservation status: Least concern (LR/lc) |
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| Scalopus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Eastern Mole or Common Mole, Scalopus aquaticus, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of genus Scalopus.
It is found in forested and open areas with moist sandy soils in northern Mexico, the eastern United States and the southwestern corner of Ontario in Canada.
These animals have grey-brown fur with silver grey underparts, a pointed nose and has a short tail. They are about 16 cm in length including a 3 cm long tail and weighs about 75 g. Their front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. They have 36 teeth. Their eyes are covered by fur and their ears are not visible.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, grubs, beetles, insect larvae and some plant matter. They are active year round.
These animals are mainly solitary except during mating in early spring. The female has a litter of 2 to 5 young in a deep underground burrow.
[edit] References
- Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Scalopus aquaticus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
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