Hairy-tailed Mole
From Freepedia
| Hairy-tailed Mole | ||||||||||||||
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| Parascalops breweri (Bachman, 1842) |
The Hairy-tailed Mole or Brewer's Mole, Parascalops breweri, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of genus Parascalops.
It is found in forested and open areas with dry loose soils in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States.
These animals have dark grey fur with lighter underparts, a pointed nose and has a short hairy tail. They are about 15 cm in length including a 3 cm long tail and weighs about 55 g. Their front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. They have 44 teeth. Their eyes are covered by fur and their ears are not external. The feet and snout are pinkish, but become white in older animals.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for insects and their larvae and earthworms. They emerge at night to feed. They are active year round. Predators include owls, foxes and large snakes.
These animals are mainly solitary except during mating in early spring. The female has a litter of 4 to 5 young in a deep underground burrow. These moles may live 4 to 5 years.
The species name refers to Thomas Mayo Brewer, an American naturalist.
