American Shrew Mole

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iAmerican Shrew Mole
Conservation status
Least concern (LR/lc)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Insectivora Family: Talpidae Genus: Neurotrichus Species: N. gibbsii
Binomial name
Neurotrichus gibbsii (Baird, 1857)

The American shrew mole, Neurotrichus gibbsii, is the smallest North American mole. It is the only member of the genus Neurotrichus.

It is found in damp forested or bushy areas with deep loose soils in the western United States and southwestern British Columbia.

It has dark grey fur, a long flattened snout and has a short but thick bristled tail. It is about 10 cm in length including a 3 cm long tail and weighs about 10 g. Its front paws are smaller and do not face outwards from the body as in other fossorial moles and so are more similar to those of shrews. They have 36 teeth.

This mole is often active above ground, foraging in leaf litter for earthworms, insects, snails and slugs. They are able to climb bushes. Predators include owls, hawks and mustelids.

Females have litters with 1 to 4 young.

[edit] References

• Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Neurotrichus gibbsii. 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