Star mole
| Star mole | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Star mole rat ( Condylura cristata ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Condylura | ||||||||||||
| Illiger , 1811 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Condylura cristata | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The star mole or star- nosed mole ( Condylura cristata ) is a species of mammal from the mole family (Talpidae) living in North America . It differs from all other moles by the 22 finger-shaped skin appendages on the snout.
features
General physique
The body structure of the star mole corresponds to that of the other New World moles and is adapted to an underground way of life. The trunk is cylindrical, the pointed head sits on a short, barely visible neck. The forelimbs are transformed into digging tools. The hands, palm outward, are shovel-shaped and end in five toes. The hind legs also have five toes, but are less specialized than the front limbs. The fur is coarser than that of the other mole species, it is water-repellent and mostly black-brown or black in color. The animals reach a head body length of 10 to 13 centimeters. The tail is longer than that of most other moles and grows 6 to 8 inches long. It is covered with rough hair and acts as a fat store in winter, whereby its diameter increases significantly. Adult animals weigh between 40 and 85 grams.
Head and teeth
As with the other moles, the skull is flat and elongated, the eyes are small but visible, and there are no auricles . Around the two nostrils at the tip of the snout, star moles have 11 finger-like extensions arranged in a circle. These serve as tactile organs with which potential prey animals can be tracked down within a fraction of a second and examined for eatability. The movements are so fast that the human eye cannot follow them. The latest measurements with high-speed cameras show that a star mole rat can touch and examine up to thirteen potential prey per second. Thus it is fourteen times faster than its relatives without the appendages. The highly sensitive appendages may also serve as electroreceptors with which they can perceive the electrical impulses that arise during the muscle movement of their prey.
The incisors are small compared to those of other moles and tweezer-shaped and allow lightning quick bite. In total, the animals have 44 teeth and thus preserved the original number of teeth of the higher mammals .
distribution and habitat
Star moles are native to eastern North America. Their range extends from Manitoba and Labrador in Canada - which means they occur further north than all other North American moles - across North Dakota to Ohio and Virginia and on the Atlantic coast to Georgia . The animals in the south of the distribution area are significantly smaller and are listed as the subspecies Condylura cristata parva , the larger animals in the north as C. c. cristata .
They inhabit different habitats, but are dependent on relatively moist soils. They occur, among other things, in swamps, wet meadows and also in forests.
Way of life
Like many other moles, star moles also build an underground passage system. They mostly dig with their forelegs and push the excavated material onto the surface of the earth in the form of molehills . A room clad with plants serves as a resting place. Some passages lead directly to the water, in contrast to most other moles, star mole are semi-aquatic, they lead a partially water-dwelling way of life. They can swim and dive well, and for some of their food they look to the bottom of water. In addition, these animals stay on the surface of the earth more often than other moles and also look for food there. Sometimes they also create trails in the thick undergrowth.
Star moles are both diurnal and nocturnal. They do not hibernate , but go looking for food even in winter. They also rummage through the snow or dive below the ice cover of water.
These animals are more social than most other moles. They live together in small, loose groups. One often finds a male and a female living together outside of the mating season and therefore concludes that they are at least partially monogamous .
food
Star moles look for their prey in the water, but also roam their underground passages and look for food above ground. Their diet consists mainly of annelids and insects and their larvae. They also eat crustaceans and small fish .
Reproduction
Mating takes place once a year. The female usually gives birth to two to seven (five on average) young animals between April and June after a gestation period of around 45 days. These are initially hairless, but grow quickly. They are weaned after three to four weeks, and sexual maturity occurs at around 10 months. Life expectancy is estimated at three to four years.
threat
The natural enemies of the star mole include owls , birds of prey , martens , skunks and minks .
Human settlement activity has restricted and fragmented the habitat of the star mole, especially in the south of its range. Overall, however, they are not endangered species.
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 .
- Karen E. Petersen, Terry L. Yates: Condylura cristata. In: Mammalian Species . No. 129, 1980, pp. 1-4, online (PDF; 440.50 KB) .
Web links
- Information on Animal Diversity Web
- Condylura cristata in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Insectivore Specialist Group, 1996. Retrieved on 12 May, 2006.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The finest hour of fast food. February 3, 2005, accessed on September 7, 2019 (mole with star-shaped nose sets record speed when foraging). Report in www.wissenschaft.de about an article in the journal Nature (Vol. 433, February 3, p. 519, 2005).