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Eastern mole
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{{Short description|Species of mammal}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Speciesbox | name = Eastern mole<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Hutterer|pages=301–302}}</ref> | image = ScalopusAquaticus.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref =<ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author1=Matson, J. |author2=Woodman, N. |author3=Castro-Arellano, I. |author4=de Grammont, P.C. |year=2016 |title=''Scalopus aquaticus'' |errata=2017 |page=e.T41471A115188304 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T41471A22319923.en |access-date=11 March 2022}}</ref> | genus = Scalopus | parent_authority = [[Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire|É. Geoffroy]], 1803 | species = aquaticus | authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]) | range_map = Eastern Mole area.png | range_map_caption = Eastern mole range | synonyms = ''Sorex aquaticus'' <small>[[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]</small> }} [[File:Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) skeleton 2.jpg|thumb|Skeleton of an Eastern mole]] [[File:Taupinière - mole-hill.JPG|thumb|left|Molehill]] The '''eastern mole''' or '''common mole''' ('''''Scalopus aquaticus''''') is a medium-sized [[North America]]n [[mole (animal)|mole]]. It is the [[monotypic taxon|only species]] in the [[genus]] '''''Scalopus'''''. It is found in forested and open areas with moist sandy [[soil]]s in northern [[Mexico]], the [[Eastern United States|eastern]] [[United States]] and the southwestern corner of [[Ontario]] in [[Canada]]. The eastern mole has grey-brown fur with silver-grey underparts, a pointed nose and a short tail. It is about {{convert|16|cm|in}} in length including a {{convert|3|cm|in}} long tail and weighs about {{convert|75|g|oz}}. Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. It has 36 teeth. Its eyes are covered by fur and its ears are not visible. The eastern mole spends most of its time underground, [[foraging]] in shallow [[burrow]]s for [[earthworm]]s, grubs, [[beetle]]s, insect larvae and some plant matter. It is active year-round. It is mainly solitary except during mating in early spring. The female has a litter of two to five young in a deep burrow. In Canada, the eastern mole is limited to about 2,600 acres in southern Ontario, primarily in Essex and Kent Counties. it prefers soft, sandy, or muddy soils and avoids clay or gravel, making its suitable habitat highly limited.<ref>{{cite web |last=Waldron |first=G. |title=Range, habitat, and population size of the Eastern Mole, Scalopus aquaticus, in Canada. |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/363987 }}</ref> ==Subspecies== A majority of the moles throughout their range are ''Scalopus aquaticus aquaticus''. All the other subspecies exist in small pocket ranges. {| class="wikitable" |+ Subspecies of ''Scalopus aquaticus''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fws.gov/taxonomic-tree/31626?rank_name=%5B%22Subspecies%22%5D | title=Explore the Taxonomic Tree }}</ref> ! Subspecies !! Name !! Range |- | ''S. a. aquaticus'' || Eastern mole || Throughout the mainland United States and Canada |- | ''S. a. anastasae''||Anastasia Island mole ||[[Anastasia Island]], a small close-to-shore island off of [[St. Augustine, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/58fa669de4b0b7ea54525834 | title=Anastasia Island Mole (Scalopus aquaticus anastasae) mEAMOa_CONUS_2001v1 Habitat Map - ScienceBase-Catalog }}</ref> |- | ''S. a. bassi'' ||Englewood mole||The area within and surrounding [[Englewood, Florida]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/guid/MCZ:Mamm:39436 | title=Mammalogy 39436: Scalopus aquaticus bassi }}</ref> |- | ''S. a. texanus'' ||Presidia mole||The Rio Grande near and between the Cibolo and Alamito Creeks.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/58fa66b2e4b0b7ea54525837 | title=Presidio Mole (Scalopus aquaticus texanus) mEAMOt_CONUS_2001v1 Habitat Map - ScienceBase-Catalog }}</ref> |} ==See also== *[[Rockport virus]] *[[Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome]] ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Eulipotyphla|T.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1353759}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Mammals described in 1758]] [[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]] [[Category:Fauna of the Southeastern United States]] [[Category:Mammals of Mexico]] [[Category:Mammals of the United States]] [[Category:Talpidae]]
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