Coast Mole
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| iCoast Mole | ||||||||||||||
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| Scapanus orarius (True, 1896) |
The Coast Mole or Pacific Mole, Scapanus orarius, is a medium-sized North American mole.
It is found in forested and open areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to central California.
These animals have velvety black fur, a pointed snout and has a short nearly hairless tail. They are about 16 cm in length including a 3 cm long tail and weigh about 62 g. Their front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging; the rear paws are smaller. They have 44 teeth. Their ears are not visible and they have small eyes. They are similar in appearance to the larger Townsend's Mole.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, small invertebrates and some plant material. They are active year round.
These animals are mainly solitary except during mating in late winter. The female has a litter of 2 to 4 young in a deep underground burrow.
[edit] References
- Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Scapanus orarius. 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
