DOCSLIB.ORG

New York State Mammals

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
New York State Mammals New York State Mammals Morphology Ecology Identification Classification Distribution ORDER: Didelphimorphia FAMILY: Didelphidae Common Name: Virginia opossum Scientific Name: (Didelphis virginiana) • Marsupial – Only marsupial north of Mexico Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) • Habitat: woodlots, suburban, urban • Omnivorous • “Plays opossum” • Plays dead to avoid threatening situations • Naked prehensile tail • Fur gray-silver, white on head • 13 nipples within pouch • Skull contains 50 teeth I 5/4 C 1/1 P 3/3 M 4/4 ORDER: Soricomorpha FAMILIES: Soricidae Talpidae Shrew or Mole? lack of zygomatic arch thin (weak) zygomatic arch FAMILY: SORICIDAE “red-toothed shrews” – Pigmented teeth – Smallest mammals in the world – Mainly insectivorous – Largest/most widely distributed family of insectivores – Extremely high metabolism – Most have musk glands FAMILY: SORICIDAE • Masked Shrew (Sorex cinereus)* • Pygmy Shrew (Sorex hoyi) • Long-tailed Shrew (Sorex dispar) • Smoky Shrew (Sorex fumeus)* • N. Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda)* • Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva) • Water Shrew (Sorex palustris)* *Specimens we have in lab Masked shrew (Sorex cinereus) • Habitat: forest dweller, primarily moist woods (occupies arid areas in some regions) • Tail makes up ~40% of total length, tail tip usually black • Usually brown pelage Pygmy shrew (Sorex hoyi) • Habitat: Boreal regions • One of the smallest terrestrial mammals on Earth (2.1 grams) • Longer snout than masked shrew Long-tailed shrew (Sorex dispar) • Habitat: Rocky outcrops or forest with many rocky areas • Adapted to life within rocks (rare): 1) long tail for climbing 2) long rostrum and pointed incisors for extracting inverts from crevices • Dark slate coloring • Tail length > 48 mm Smoky shrew (Sorex fumeus) • Habitat: Moist woods with heavy leaf litter • Fairly common • Smoky or gray colored • Tail length < 48mm • Skull and body more robust than long-tailed shrew Least shrew (Cryptotis parva) • “bee shrew”: sometimes live in abandoned bee hives • Habitat: Brushy/grassy areas • NYS = northern extent of geographic range • Most social shrew • Virginia: up to 25 in one nest • Small shrew with short tail • < 45% of total length Northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) • Habitat: Variety of habitats • woodlands, grassy meadows and yards • Poisonous saliva • catch invertebrate prey • subdue large prey such as mice and voles • Very large shrew with short tail compared to body • Dark slate colored • Hair has brown tips Water shrew (Sorex palustris) • Habitat: Near small streams or creeks • Semi-aquatic: Uses water for foraging and escaping predators • Adaptations to aquatic lifestyle: • fur traps air bubbles • stiff fringes of hair on back feet to assist with swimming • Large shrew • Bicolored tail • Black or dark gray fur Side-by-side Comparisons Sorex cinereus Sorex hoyi 100 mm TL 80 mm 40 mm tail 30 mm 2 – 5 g 1 – 5 g 4 obvious unicuspids 3 obvious unicuspids Masked Shrew Pygmy Shrew Slender, Heavy-bodied, dark grey Grey-brown Sorex fumeus 115 mm TL 115 mm Sorex dispar 55 mm tail 40 mm 3 - 8 g 6 - 11 g Long-tailed Smoky Shrew Shrew Side-by-side Comparisons 120 mm TL 70 mm 25 mm tail 30 mm 18 - 22 g 5 - 10 g Cryptotis parva Blarina brevicauda Large, small, “short-tailed” “short-tailed” shrew shrew Sorex palustris Black/greyish back; Stiff fringes of hair on long hind feet (fl = 18 mm) Water Shrew FAMILY: TALPIDAE • Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus) • Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri) • Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) **A major distinguishing factor between moles & shrews – moles have larger/longer forefeet for digging. FAMILY: TALPIDAE Adapted for fossorial lifestyle: 1. modified forelimbs 2. keeled sternum- allows for attachment of large pectoral muscles 3. reduced external pinnae and eyes 4. short velvet-like, non-directional fur allows for movement in both directions Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) • Habitat: Prefers moist, sandy soils • Can live in drier climates and more coarse soils • Uncommon in NY • Has webbing between foretoes (not aquatic) • Large mole, tail naked or sparsely haired Hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri) • Habitat: Variable, most abundant in light soils with vegetative cover • Has vibrissae on snout and edge of palms to serve a tactile function • Smaller mole, hairy and fleshy tail Star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) • Habitat: Prefers moist or wet soils, most aquatic mole • 22 fleshy appendages on nose with over 25,000 Eimer’s organs • Tactile & electromagnetic • Unique star-nose • Long tail • Black to blackish brown pelage Side-by-side comparison 150 mm TL 160 mm 30 mm tail 30 mm 60 – 120 g 40 – 60 g Scalopus aquaticus Parascalops breweri Eastern Mole Hairy-tailed Condylura cristata Star-nosed TL 150 - 200 mm tail 360 - 80 mm 60 - 80 g • Star-nose • Skull with forward pointed incisors .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • MAMMALS of OHIO F I E L D G U I D E DIVISION of WILDLIFE Below Are Some Helpful Symbols for Quick Comparisons and Identfication
    MAMMALS OF OHIO f i e l d g u i d e DIVISION OF WILDLIFE Below are some helpful symbols for quick comparisons and identfication. They are located in the same place for each species throughout this publication. Definitions for About this Book the scientific terms used in this publication can be found at the end in the glossary. Activity Method of Feeding Diurnal • Most active during the day Carnivore • Feeds primarily on meat Nocturnal • Most active at night Herbivore • Feeds primarily on plants Crepuscular • Most active at dawn and dusk Insectivore • Feeds primarily on insects A word about diurnal and nocturnal classifications. Omnivore • Feeds on both plants and meat In nature, it is virtually impossible to apply hard and fast categories. There can be a large amount of overlap among species, and for individuals within species, in terms of daily and/or seasonal behavior habits. It is possible for the activity patterns of mammals to change due to variations in weather, food availability or human disturbances. The Raccoon designation of diurnal or nocturnal represent the description Gray or black in color with a pale most common activity patterns of each species. gray underneath. The black mask is rimmed on top and bottom with CARNIVORA white. The raccoon’s tail has four to six black or dark brown rings. habitat Raccoons live in wooded areas with Tracks & Skulls big trees and water close by. reproduction Many mammals can be elusive to sighting, leaving Raccoons mate from February through March in Ohio. Typically only one litter is produced each year, only a trail of clues that they were present.
    [Show full text]
  • Interglacial Refugia Preserved High Genetic Diversity of the Chinese Mole Shrew in the Mountains of Southwest China
    Heredity (2016) 116, 23–32 & 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0018-067X/16 www.nature.com/hdy ORIGINAL ARTICLE Interglacial refugia preserved high genetic diversity of the Chinese mole shrew in the mountains of southwest China KHe1,2, N-Q Hu1,3, X Chen4,5, J-T Li6 and X-L Jiang1 The mountains of southwest China (MSC) harbor extremely high species diversity; however, the mechanism behind this diversity is unknown. We investigated to what degree the topography and climate change shaped the genetic diversity and diversification in these mountains, and we also sought to identify the locations of microrefugia areas in these mountains. For these purposes, we sampled extensively to estimate the intraspecific phylogenetic pattern of the Chinese mole shrew (Anourosorex squamipes)in southwest China throughout its range of distribution. Two mitochondrial genes, namely, cytochrome b (CYT B) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2), from 383 archived specimens from 43 localities were determined for phylogeographic and demographic analyses. We used the continuous-diffusion phylogeographic model, extensive Bayesian skyline plot species distribution modeling (SDM) and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) to explore the changes in population size and distribution through time of the species. Two phylogenetic clades were identified, and significantly higher genetic diversity was preserved in the southern subregion of the mountains. The results of the SDM, continuous-diffusion phylogeographic model, extensive Bayesian skyline plot and ABC analyses were congruent and supported that the Last Interglacial Maximum (LIG) was an unfavorable period for the mole shrews because of a high degree of seasonality; A. squamipes survived in isolated interglacial refugia mainly located in the southern subregion during the LIG and rapidly expanded during the last glacial period.
    [Show full text]
  • Controlling the Eastern Mole
    Agriculture and Natural Resources FSA9095 Controlling the Eastern Mole Dustin Blakey Introduction known about the Eastern Mole, and County Extension Agent ­ successful control in landscapes Agriculture Few things in this world are requires a basic understanding of more frustrating than spending valu­ their biology. able time and money on a landscape Rebecca McPeake only to have it torn up by wildlife. Mole Biology Associate Professor and Moles’ underground habits aerate the Extension Wildlife soil and reduce grubs, but their Moles spend most of their lives Specialist digging is cause for homeowner underground feeding on invertebrate complaints, making them one of the animals living in the soil. A mole’s most destructive mammals that can diet sharply reflects the diversity of inhabit our landscapes. the fauna found in its environment. In Arkansas, moles primarily feed on earthworms, grubs and other inverte­ brates. Moles lack the dental struc­ ture to chew plant material (seeds, roots, etc.) for food and, as a result, subsist strictly as carnivores. Occasionally moles will cut surface vegetation and bring it down to their nest, as bedding, but this is not eaten. Figure 1. Rarely seen on the surface, moles are uniquely designed for their underground existence. Photo printed with permission by Ann and Rob Simpson. Contrary to popular belief, moles are not rodents. Mice, squirrels and gophers are all rodents. Moles are insectivores in the family Talpidae. Figure 2. Moles lack the dental structure This animal family survives by to chew plant material and subsist feeding on invertebrate prey. There mostly on earthworms and other invertebrates. are seven species of moles in North America, but the Eastern Mole Moles are well-adapted to living (Scalopus aquaticus L.) is the species underground.
    [Show full text]
  • Controlled Animals
    Environment and Sustainable Resource Development Fish and Wildlife Policy Division Controlled Animals Wildlife Regulation, Schedule 5, Part 1-4: Controlled Animals Subject to the Wildlife Act, a person must not be in possession of a wildlife or controlled animal unless authorized by a permit to do so, the animal was lawfully acquired, was lawfully exported from a jurisdiction outside of Alberta and was lawfully imported into Alberta. NOTES: 1 Animals listed in this Schedule, as a general rule, are described in the left hand column by reference to common or descriptive names and in the right hand column by reference to scientific names. But, in the event of any conflict as to the kind of animals that are listed, a scientific name in the right hand column prevails over the corresponding common or descriptive name in the left hand column. 2 Also included in this Schedule is any animal that is the hybrid offspring resulting from the crossing, whether before or after the commencement of this Schedule, of 2 animals at least one of which is or was an animal of a kind that is a controlled animal by virtue of this Schedule. 3 This Schedule excludes all wildlife animals, and therefore if a wildlife animal would, but for this Note, be included in this Schedule, it is hereby excluded from being a controlled animal. Part 1 Mammals (Class Mammalia) 1. AMERICAN OPOSSUMS (Family Didelphidae) Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana 2. SHREWS (Family Soricidae) Long-tailed Shrews Genus Sorex Arboreal Brown-toothed Shrew Episoriculus macrurus North American Least Shrew Cryptotis parva Old World Water Shrews Genus Neomys Ussuri White-toothed Shrew Crocidura lasiura Greater White-toothed Shrew Crocidura russula Siberian Shrew Crocidura sibirica Piebald Shrew Diplomesodon pulchellum 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Lipotyphla: Talpidae: Euroscaptor)
    Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS Vol. 320, No. 2, 2016, рр. 193–220 УДК 599.362 (597) SECRETS OF THE UNDERGROUND VIETNAM: AN UNDERESTIMATED SPECIES DIVERSITY OF ASIAN MOLES (LIPOTYPHLA: TALPIDAE: EUROSCAPTOR) E.D. Zemlemerova1, A.A. Bannikova1, V.S. Lebedev2, V.V. Rozhnov3, 5 and A.V. Abramov4, 5* 1Lomonosov Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 119991 Moscow, Russia; e-mails: [email protected], [email protected] 2Zoological Museum, Moscow State University, B. Nikitskaya 6, 125009 Moscow, Russia; e-mail: [email protected] 3A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow 119071, Russia; e-mail: [email protected] 4Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia; e-mail: [email protected] 5Joint Vietnam-Russian Tropical Research and Technological Centre, Nguyen Van Huyen, Nghia Do, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam ABSTRACT A study of the Southeast Asian moles of the genus Euroscaptor based on a combined approach, viz. DNA sequence data combined with a multivariate analysis of cranial characters, has revealed a high cryptic diversity of the group. An analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and five nuclear genes has revealed two deeply divergent clades: the western one (E. klossi + E. malayana + E. longirostris from Sichuan + Euroscaptor spp. from northern Vietnam and Yunnan, China), and the eastern one (E. parvidens s.l. + E. subanura). The pattern of genetic variation in the genus Euroscaptor discovered in the present study provides support for the existence of several cryptic lineages that could be treated as distinct species based on their genetic and morphological distinctness and geographical distribution.
    [Show full text]
  • An Evolutionary View on the Japanese Talpids Based on Nucleotide Sequences
    Mammal Study 30: S19–S24 (2005) © the Mammalogical Society of Japan An evolutionary view on the Japanese talpids based on nucleotide sequences Akio Shinohara1,*, Kevin L. Campbell2 and Hitoshi Suzuki3 1 Department of Bio-resources, Division of Biotechnology, Frontier Science Research Center, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki 889-1692, Japan 2 Department of Zoology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada 3 Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan Abstract. Japanese talpid moles exhibit a remarkable degree of species richness and geographic complexity, and as such, have attracted much research interest by morphologists, cytogeneticists, and molecular phylogeneticists. However, a consensus hypothesis pertaining to the evolutionary history and biogeography of this group remains elusive. Recent phylogenetic studies utilizing nucleotide sequences have provided reasonably consistent branching patterns for Japanese talpids, but have generally suffered from a lack of closely related South-East Asian species for sound biogeographic interpretations. As an initial step in achieving this goal, we constructed phylogenetic trees using publicly accessible mitochondrial and nuclear sequences from seven Japanese taxa, and those of related insular and continental species for which nucleotide data is available. The resultant trees support the view that four lineages (Euroscaptor mizura, Mogera tokuade species group [M. tokudae and M. etigo], M. imaizumii, and M. wogura) migrated separately, and in this order, from the continental Asian mainland to Japan. The close relationship of M. tokudae and M. etigo suggests these lineages diverged recently through a vicariant event between Sado Island and Echigo plain. The origin of the two endemic lineages of Japanese shrew-moles, Urotrichus talpoides and Dymecodon pilirostris, remains ambiguous.
    [Show full text]
  • The Preface of “Evolutionary Biology and Phylogeny of the Talpidae”
    Mammal Study 30: S3 (2005) © the Mammalogical Society of Japan The preface of “Evolutionary biology and phylogeny of the Talpidae” The symposium “Evolutionary biology and phylogeny pleasure to say “Mission accomplished”! of the Talpidae” was held on the 3rd of August as part of This symposium was accompanied by three poster the IX International Mammalogical Congress (IMC9) in presentations. Dr. N. Sagara presented his new research Sapporo, Japan, 31 July–5 August 2005, and attracted topic, ‘Myco-talpology’, which is the science pertaining about 50 individuals interested in the family Talpidae to the ecological relationships between mushrooms and and other subterranean mammals. moles. Dr. Y. Yokohata communicated his and his After a brief introduction by Dr. Y. Yokohata, Dr. S. student’s research on lesser Japanese moles. The first Kawada highlighted his recent studies on the karyologi- poster examined the social relationships between indi- cal and morphological aspects of the lesser-known Asian vidual moles in captivity, while the second documented mole species, and forwarded several taxonomic prob- and compared the diet of an isolated insular population lems yet to be addressed. Dr. A. Loy followed this (Kinkasan Island) of moles inhabiting a ‘turf’ habitat presentation by discussing the origin and evolutionary altered by high populations of sika deer with those in history of Western European fossorial moles of the genus natural ‘forest’ environments. Talpa based on her and her collaborators’ studies of their In this proceeding, the following
    [Show full text]
  • On the Original Description of the Sacred Shrew, Sorex Religiosa I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826 [Nec 1827] (Mammalia: Soricidae)
    Bionomina, 9: 50–53 (2015) ISSN 1179-7649 (print edition) www.mapress.com/bionomina/ Article BIONOMINA Copyright © 2015 • Magnolia Press ISSN 1179-7657 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.9.1.5 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:790065A5-5351-4E9F-9BA6-6A4F9B10BEC0 On the original description of the Sacred Shrew, Sorex religiosa I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1826 [nec 1827] (Mammalia: Soricidae) Neal WOODMAN USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, MRC-111, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, U.S.A. <[email protected]> Abstract The original description of the Egyptian Pygmy Shrew or Sacred Shrew, Sorex religiosus I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire (Mammalia: Soricidae: Crocidura religiosa), was based on mummies obtained by Joseph Passalacqua from the ancient Egyptian necropolis at Thebes, Egypt. The description and naming of this species is commonly credited to Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire’s (1827) compendium and review of shrews in the Mémoires du Muséum d’Histoire naturelle. However, this author also described this species in two earlier publications. The first was in a footnote to Passalacqua’s (1826) Catalogue raisonné et historique des antiquités découvertes en Égypte; the second in January 1827 in the 11th volume of the Dictionnaire classique d’Histoire naturelle. In each case, he explained what he considered to be the distinguishing characteristics of the species and presented its common and scientific names. Priority, therefore, goes to Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire’s description in Passalacqua’s (1826) Catalogue. Key words: Insectivora, Sorex, Crocidura, mummy, systematics, taxonomy Introduction The Egyptian Pygmy Shrew or Sacred Shrew, Sorex religiosus I.
    [Show full text]
  • The First Record of Anourosorex (Insectivora, Soricidae) from Western Myanmar, with Special Reference to Identification and Karyological Characters
    Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. A, 40(2), pp. 105–109, May 22, 2014 The First Record of Anourosorex (Insectivora, Soricidae) from Western Myanmar, with Special Reference to Identification and Karyological Characters Shin-ichiro Kawada1, Nozomi Kurihara1, Noriko Tominaga2 and Hideki Endo3 1 Department of Zoology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4–1–1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305–0005, Japan E-mail: [email protected] 2 Adachi Study Center, The Open University of Japan, 5–13–5 Senju, Adachi-ku, Tokyo 120–0034, Japan 3 The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 7–3–1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113–0033, Japan (Received 3 March 2014; accepted 26 March 2014) Abstract We collected six mole shrews in Tiddim Town of Chin State, western Myanmar. They were captured in a human-modified artificial environment, although mole shrews usually inhabit forests. External and skull measurements indicated that the species was Anourosorex assamensis, previously known only as an endemic species of the Assam region of India. This is the first record of this species from Myanmar. Karyological examination revealed the species was diploid with a fundamental autosomal number of 2n=50 and NFa=96. These numbers correspond to the Taiwanese species A. yamashinai, but several differences were apparent in chromosomal morphology and the position of secondary chromosomal constrictions. The karyological information suggests A. assamensis is a full species separate from A. squamipes in China. Key words : Mole shrew, Anourosorex assamensis, morphological identification, karyotype. karyotypes, and should therefore be considered Introduction separate species. After that, Hutterer (2005) Mole shrews, the genus Anourosorex Milne- reclassified all four Anourosorex as four distinct Edwards, 1872, are semifossorial shrews known species based on size differences.
    [Show full text]
  • Life History Account for Townsend's Mole
    California Wildlife Habitat Relationships System California Department of Fish and Wildlife California Interagency Wildlife Task Group TOWNSEND'S MOLE Scapanus townsendii Family: TALPIDAE Order: INSECTIVORA Class: MAMMALIA M016 Written by: G. Hoefler, J. Harris Reviewed by: H. Shellhammer Edited by: S. Granholm DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND SEASONALITY Townsend's mole is found along the North Coast in Del Norte and Humboldt cos., from the Oregon border south through about two-thirds of Humboldt Co. Optimum habitats are annual grassland, wet meadow, and early seral stages of redwood, Douglas-fir, mixed conifer, and montane hardwood-conifer forests. Townsend's mole in California mainly is a species of lowland river bottoms. SPECIFIC HABITAT REQUIREMENTS Feeding: Earthworms comprise 55-86% of the diet, with the remainder insects, seeds, roots, leaves, slugs, snails, and small mammals (Wight 1928, Moore 1933, Pedersen 1963, Whitaker et al. 1979). Forages beneath the surface in light, base-rich soils. Cover: This mole is almost entirely subterranean, spending its time in underground burrow systems. Requires well-drained, friable soil for burrowing. Reproduction: Nests in a grass-lined cavity 15-20 cm (6-8 in) below the surface. Nests sometimes are placed under "fortresses" (large mounds of earth 75-125 cm (30-50 in) in diameter), or near the center of a cluster of several normal-sized mounds (Kuhn et al. 1966, Maser et al. 1981). Water: Water needs are met from the diet, especially from earthworms. Pattern: Prefers well-drained, friable soils. Avoids dense woods and thickets. Clearing, draining, and fertilizing of cropland and pasture may have increased numbers of Townsend's mole.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Shrew & Endangered Species Sorex Palustris
    Natural Heritage Water Shrew & Endangered Species Sorex palustris Program State Status: Special Concern www.mass.gov/nhesp Federal Status: None Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife DESCRIPTION: The Water Shrew is the largest long- tailed shrew in New England. It measures 144-158 mm (5.7-6.2 in) in length, with its long tail accounting for more than half of its total length, and weighs from 10-16 g (approximately 1/3 oz). The unique feature of the Water Shrew is its big “feathered” hind foot. The third and fourth toes of the Water Shrew’s hind feet are slightly webbed, and all toes as well as the foot itself have conspicuous stiff hairs along the sides. Both the webbing and the fringe of hairs increase the Water Shrew’s swimming efficiency. The male and female Water Shrew are colored alike, Illustration from DeGraaf and Rudis, 1986. equal in size, and show slight seasonal color variation. In winter, the Water Shrew is glossy, gray-black above tipped with silver, and silvery buff below, becoming adults. The Water Shrew is slender with a long, narrow lighter on the throat and chin. It has whitish hands and snout that is highly movable and incessantly rotating. Its feet, and a long, bicolored (i.e., lighter beneath, darker eyes are minute but visible, and its ears are small and above) tail covered with short, brown bristles. In hidden in velvety fur. Females have six mammae. summer, its pelage (fur) is more brownish above and slightly paler below, with a less frosted appearance. This species is especially adapted for semi-aquatic life.
    [Show full text]
  • Species of Conservation Concern SC SWAP 2015
    Supplemental Volume: Species of Conservation Concern SC SWAP 2015 Moles Guild Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri) Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) Contributors (2005): Mary Bunch (SCDNR), Mark Ford (VA Tech), and David Webster (UNC-W) Reviewed and Edited (2012): Steve Fields (Culture and Heritage Museums) and David Webster (UNC-W) DESCRIPTION Taxonomy and Basic Description Three species of moles occur in South Carolina. These include the eastern mole, (Scalopus aquaticus) which is widely distributed and common. The other 2 species, the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) and hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri), are less commonly encountered in South Carolina. All 3 possess velvety fur; eyes that are small and concealed in the fur; and large well-developed forelimbs with backward facing palms and long claws. They also lack external ear structures. The star-nosed mole was first described by Linnaeus in Star-nosed Mole Photo courtesy of ATBI 1758. Two subspecies are recognized for the star-nosed mole: Condylura cristata cristata and Condylura cristata parva. Star-nosed moles in South Carolina are considered to be C. c. parva (Peterson and Yates 1980). As the name implies, the rostrum of the star-nosed mole is star-like and consists of 22 fleshy appendages. Total length of this species ranges from 153 to 238 mm (6.24 to 9.3 in.). The moderately haired tail is approximately one-third to one- half the body length. The fur is black or a black-brown on the back (Peterson and Yates 1980; Webster et al. 1985; Laerm et al. 2005a). The hairy-tailed mole, first described by Bachman Hairy-tailed Mole Photo by E.B.
    [Show full text]