Gansu mole

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Gansu mole
Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Insect eater (Eulipotyphla)
Family : Moles (Talpidae)
Subfamily : New World Moles (Scalopinae)
Genre : Scapanulus
Type : Gansu mole
Scientific name of the  genus
Scapanulus
Thomas , 1912
Scientific name of the  species
Scapanulus oweni
Thomas , 1912

The Gansu Mole ( Scapanulus oweni ) is in China endemic mammal species of the family of moles (Talpidae). Above all, it is systematically interesting because it is more closely related to the American moles than to the rest of the Asian moles and is therefore counted among the New World moles . According to molecular genetic studies, it either forms the sister taxon to all other New World moles or is in a common clade with the hairtail mole .

features

Gansu moles reach a head body length of 10 to 11 centimeters, to which a 3.5 to 4 centimeter long, thickly hairy tail is added. The fur is gray in color, the front paws, which have been converted into digging tools, are comparatively broad and have long, thin claws. The correspondence with the North American moles is mainly based on the structure of the teeth, so the upper canines are regressed and the front incisors are enlarged.

Distribution and way of life

Gansu moles inhabit a small area in China in the border area between Gansu , Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces . Almost nothing is known about the way of life. Two specimens were found in a mossy forest, so far only six animals have been scientifically examined.

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kai He, Akio Shinohara, Kristofer M. Helgen, Mark S. Springer, Xue-Long Jiang and Kevin L. Campbell: Talpid Mole Phylogeny Unites Shrew Moles and Illuminates Overlooked Cryptic Species Diversity. Molecular Biology and Evolution 34 (1), 2016, pp. 78-87
  2. ↑ AA Bannikova, ED Zemlemerova, VS Lebedev, D. Yu. Aleksandrov, Yun Fang and BI Sheftel: Phylogenetic Position of the Gansu Mole Scapanulus oweni Thomas, 1912 and the Relationships between Strictly Fossorial Tribes of the Family Talpidae. Doklady Biological Sciences 464, 2015, pp. 230-234

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