| Talpidae[1] Fossil range: Late Eocene–Recent |
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17 genera, see text |
The family Talpidae includes the moles, shrew moles, desmans, and other intermediate forms of small insectivorous mammals of the order Soricomorpha. Moles are, to varying degrees, subterranean animals, whilst desmans are aquatic. Talpids are found across the northern hemisphere, in Asia, Europe, and North America, although there are none in Ireland or anywhere in the Americas south of northern Mexico.
The first talpids evolved from shrew-like animals in the late Eocene of Europe. The most primitive living talpids are believed to be the shrew-like moles, with other species having evolved further into either subterranean or aquatic lifestyles. [2].
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Characteristics
Talpids are small, dark-furred animals with cylindrical bodies and hairless, tubular snouts. They range in size from the tiny shrew-moles of North America, as small as 2.4 cm in length and weighing under 12 grams, to the Russian Desman, with a body length of 18-22 cm, and a weight of about 550 grams. The fur varies between species but is alsways dense and short; desmans have a waterproof undercoat and oily guard hairs, while the subterranean moles have short, velvety fur lacking any guard hairs. The forelimbs of moles are highly adapted for digging, with powerful claws, and the hands turned permanently outwards to aid in shovelling dirt away from and the front of the body. By contrast, desmans have webbed paws with a fringe of stiff fur to aid in swimming. Moles generally have short tails, but those of desmans are elongated and flattened[3].
All species have small eyes and poor eyesight, but only a few are truly blind. Talpids rely primarily on their sense of touch, and have vibrissae on their faces, legs, and tails. The flexible snout is particularly sensitive. Desmans are able to close both their nostrils and ears while diving. Unusually, the penis of talpids points backwards, and they have no scrotum[3].
Talpids are generally insectivorous. Moles eat earthworms, insect larvae, and occasionally slugs, while desmans eat aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps, insect larvae, and snails. Talpids have relatively unspecialized teeth, with the dental formula:
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| 2-3.1.3-4.3 |
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Behavior
Desmans and shrew-moles are primarily nocturnal, but moles are active day and night, usually travelling above ground only under cover of darkness. Most moles dig permanent burrows, and subsist largely on prey that fall into them. The shrew-moles dig burrows to access deep sleeping chambers, but forage for food on the forest floor by night. Desmans dig burrows in riverbanks for shelter and forage in the water of rivers and lakes. The Star-nosed mole is able to make a living much as other moles do, but are also very capable aquatic creatures, where they are able to smell underwater by using their unique proboscus to hold out a bubble of air into the water.
Talpids appear to be generally quite anti-social animals, and although only a very few species, such as the Star-nosed Mole, share burrows, talpids engage in much territorial behavior, including extraordinarily fast battles.[3]
Classification
The family is divided into 3 subfamilies, 7 tribes, and 17 genera:
- Subfamily Uropsilinae: Asian shrew-like moles, ("Chinese Shrew-moles")
- Genus Uropsilus: four species in China, Butan, and Myanmar
- Subfamily Scalopinae: "New World moles"
- Tribe Condylurini Star-Nosed Mole (North America)
- Genus Condylura: Star-nosed Mole
- Tribe Scalopini "New World moles"
- Genus Parascalops: Hairy-tailed Mole (Northeastern North America)
- Genus Scalopus: Eastern Mole (North America)
- Genus Scapanulus: Gansu Mole (China)
- Genus Scapanus: Western North American moles (four species)
- Tribe Condylurini Star-Nosed Mole (North America)
- Subfamily Talpinae Old World moles, desmans, and shrew-moles.
- Tribe Talpini: Old World moles
- Genus Euroscaptor: six Asian species
- Genus Mogera: nine species from Japan, Korea, and Eastern China
- Genus Parascaptor: White-tailed Mole, southern Asia
- Genus Scaptochirus: Short-faced Mole, China
- Genus Talpa: nine species, Europe and western Asia
- Tribe Scaptonychini Long-tailed Mole
- Genus Scaptonyx: Long-tailed Mole (China and Myanmar)
- Tribe Desmanini: desmans
- Tribe Urotrichini: Japanese shrew-moles
- Genus Dymecodon: Japanese Shrew Mole
- Genus Urotrichus True’s Shrew Mole
- Tribe Neurotrichini New World shrew-moles
- Genus Neurotrichus: Shrew-mole (aka. "American Shrew Mole" Pacific northwest USA, southwest British Columbia.)
- Tribe Talpini: Old World moles
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Talpidae |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Talpidae |
- ^ Hutterer, Rainer (November 16, 2005). Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 300-311. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ Savage, RJG, & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 53. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X.
- ^ a b c Gorman, Martyn (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 766–769. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
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