West American moles
| West American moles | ||||||||||||
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Scapanus latimanus |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Scapanus | ||||||||||||
| Pomel , 1848 |
The West American moles ( Scapanus ) are a genus of mammals from the mole family (Talpidae). The three species of this genus live in western North America .
features
As with many moles, their physique is adapted to a burrowing way of life. The trunk is cylindrical and the forelimbs are transformed into digging tools. These animals have a shorter snout than other North American moles. The eyes are small but visible, but there are no auricles. The soft, silky fur is usually black-brown or black, but there are also some light gray specimens. These animals reach a head body length of 11 to 19 centimeters, plus a tail 2 to 6 centimeters long, covered with rough hair. With a weight of 50 to 170 grams, they are among the heaviest moles alongside the Desmanes .
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the West American moles extends on the Pacific coast of North America from southern British Columbia to northern Baja California and eastwards to Idaho . Their habitat are both forests and grasslands, they occur up to 2700 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Like all New World moles , these animals lead an underground burrowing way of life. They build tunnel systems underground and bring the excavated material to the surface in the form of molehills . Especially in dry regions, they venture into greater depths in search of groundwater. A room padded with plants serves as a resting place. These moles are more solitary than the other moles in North America and react aggressively to other moles.
Their diet consists of earthworms , insect larvae and other invertebrates, and sometimes they also eat plant bulbs.
They mate in spring, after a month of gestation, the female gives birth to two to five young in March or April. These become independent after one to two months and reach sexual maturity at 9 to 10 months.
The species
- Californian mole ( Scapanus latimanus ) is widespread from Oregon to Baja California and prefers rather moist soils.
- Pacific mole ( Scapanus orarius ) occurs from southern British Columbia to northern California and often lives in wooded areas.
- Townsend mole ( Scapanus townsendii ) is also widespread from southern British Columbia to northern California, but prefers grasslands and drier habitats. The species feeds on bulbs to a greater extent and is therefore seen as a nuisance in some places.
None of the species is endangered according to the IUCN .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Endangerment level of the individual species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .