Talpidae
Encyclopedia
The family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Talpidae includes the moles
Mole (animal)
Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible ears and eyes; and short, powerful limbs with large paws oriented for digging. The term is especially and most properly used for the true moles, those of the Talpidae family in the...

, shrew mole
Shrew mole
Shrew moles and mole shrews are two distinct groups of animals.-Shrew moles:Any of seven species of mole in the family Talpidae that resemble shrews:...

s, desman
Desman
The desmans or tribe Desmanini are one of several tribes of the mole family Talpidae.This tribe consists of two species of semiaquatic insectivores found in Europe; one in Russia and the other in the Pyrenees. Both species are considered to be vulnerable...

s, and other intermediate forms of small insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....

 mammals of the order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...

 Soricomorpha
Soricomorpha
The order Soricomorpha is taxon within the class of mammals. In previous years it formed a significant group within the former order Insectivora...

. Talpids are all digging animals
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...

 to various degrees: moles are completely subterranean animals; shew-moles and shrew-like moles somewhat less so; and desmans, while basically aquatic, excavate dry sleeping chambers; whilst the quite unique star-nosed mole
Star-nosed mole
The star-nosed mole is a small mole found in wet low areas of eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States, with records extending along the Atlantic coast as far as extreme southeastern Georgia...

 is equally adept in the water and underground. Talpids are found across the northern hemisphere and SouthernAsia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, although there are none in Ireland nor anywhere in the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...

 south of northern Mexico.

The first talpids evolved from shrew
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...

-like animals which adapted to digging late in the Dawn Age of Mammals
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...

 in Europe. The most primitive living talpids are believed to be the shrew-like moles
Uropsilinae
The Uropsilinae are shrew-like members of the mole family endemic to the forested, high-alpine region bordering China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. They possess a long snout, a long slender tail, external ears, and small forefeet unspecialized for burrowing...

, with other species having adapted further into the subterranean, and, in some cases, aquatic lifestyles.

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
Russian Desman
The Russian Desman is a small semi-aquatic mammal that inhabits the Volga, Don and Ural River basins in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It constructs burrows into the banks of ponds and slow-moving streams, but prefers small, overgrown ponds with abundance of insects, crayfish and amphibians...

, with a body length of 18–22 cm, and a weight of about 550 grams. The fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...

 varies between species but is always dense and short; desmans have a waterproof undercoat and oily guard hair
Guard hair
Guard hairs are the longest, coarsest hairs in a mammal's coat, forming the topcoat . They taper to a point and protect the undercoat from the elements. They are often water repellent and stick out above the rest of the coat...

s, 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.

All species have small eyes and poor eyesight, but only a few are truly blind. The external ears are very small or absent. Talpids rely primarily on their sense of touch
Somatosensory system
The somatosensory system is a diverse sensory system composed of the receptors and processing centres to produce the sensory modalities such as touch, temperature, proprioception , and nociception . The sensory receptors cover the skin and epithelia, skeletal muscles, bones and joints, internal...

, having sensory 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
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...

 of talpids points backwards, and they have no scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...

.

Females have six or eight teats. Both sexes have claws on all five fingers and on all five toes. The hand has an additional bone called the os falciforme. In burrowing moles, the clavicle
Clavicle
In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...

 and the humeral head are connected. The tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....

 and the fibula are partially fused in all talpids. The pubis
Pubis (bone)
In vertebrates, the pubic bone is the ventral and anterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis.It is covered by a layer of fat, which is covered by the mons pubis....

 does not connect the two halves of the pelvic girdle
Pelvis
In human anatomy, the pelvis is the lower part of the trunk, between the abdomen and the lower limbs .The pelvis includes several structures:...

. The skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...

 is long, narrow, and rather flattened.

Talpids are generally insectivorous. Moles eat earthworm
Earthworm
Earthworm is the common name for the largest members of Oligochaeta in the phylum Annelida. In classical systems they were placed in the order Opisthopora, on the basis of the male pores opening posterior to the female pores, even though the internal male segments are anterior to the female...

s, insect larvae, and occasionally slugs, while desmans eat aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps, insect larvae, and snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...

s. Talpids have relatively unspecialized teeth, with the dental formula
Dentition
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age...

:

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 burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...

s, 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 at least one species, the star-nosed mole, will share burrows, talpids are known to engage in much territorial behavior, including extraordinarily fast battles.

Classification

The family is divided into 3 subfamilies, 17 genera and 44 species.
  • FAMILY TALPIDAE
    • Subfamily Uropsilinae
      Uropsilinae
      The Uropsilinae are shrew-like members of the mole family endemic to the forested, high-alpine region bordering China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. They possess a long snout, a long slender tail, external ears, and small forefeet unspecialized for burrowing...

      - Asian shrew-like moles ("Chinese Shrew-moles")
      • Genus Uropsilus - four species in China, Butan, and Myanmar
        • Anderson's Shrew Mole
          Anderson's Shrew Mole
          The Anderson's Shrew Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to China.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

          , Uropsilus andersoni
        • Gracile Shrew Mole
          Gracile Shrew Mole
          The Gracile Shrew Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China and Myanmar.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

          , Uropsilus gracilis
        • Inquisitive Shrew Mole
          Inquisitive Shrew Mole
          The Inquisitive Shrew Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to the Yunnan province of China, although its range is thought to extend over the border into Burma.-Source:...

          , Uropsilus investigator
        • Chinese Shrew Mole
          Chinese Shrew Mole
          The Chinese Shrew Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to China, Sichuan Province. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.-References:* EDGE...

          , Uropsilus soricipes
    • Subfamily Scalopinae
      Scalopinae
      The Scalopinae, or New World moles, are one of three subfamilies of the Talpidae family, which consists of moles and mole-like animals; the other two subfamilies being the Old World Talpids and the Chinese Shrew-like Moles...

      - "New World moles"
      • Tribe Condylurini - Star-nosed Mole (North America)
        • Genus Condylura - Star-nosed Mole
          • Star-nosed Mole
            Star-nosed mole
            The star-nosed mole is a small mole found in wet low areas of eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States, with records extending along the Atlantic coast as far as extreme southeastern Georgia...

            , Condylura cristata
      • Tribe Scalopini
        Scalopini
        The Scalopini are a tribe of moles belonging to the Talpidae family. They include all the New World moles apart from the strikingly distinctive Star-nosed Mole...

         - "New World moles"
        • Genus Parascalops - Hairy-tailed Mole (Northeastern North America)
          • Hairy-tailed Mole
            Hairy-tailed Mole
            The Hairy-tailed Mole , also known as Brewer's Mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus Parascalops....

            , Parascalops breweri
        • Genus Scalopus - Eastern Mole (North America)
          • Eastern Mole (Common Mole)
            Eastern Mole
            The eastern mole or common mole is a medium-sized, overall grey North American mole and the only member of the genus Scalopus. Its large, hairless, spade shaped forefeet are adapted for digging...

            , Scalopus aquaticus
        • Genus Scapanulus - Gansu Mole (China)
          • Gansu Mole
            Gansu Mole
            The Gansu Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is the only species in the genus Scapanulus. It the only member of a tribe of genera commonly known as "New World Moles", the Scalopini, not to actually live in North America. It is endemic to China....

            , Scapanulus oweni
        • Genus Scapanus
          Scapanus
          Scapanus is a genus of moles in the family Talpidae. They live in North America from west of the Rockies south to Baja California del Norte, and north to British Columbia, wherever conditions permit a mole population; that is to say, apart from the most sandy, rocky, or developed places...

          - Western North American moles
          • Broad-footed Mole
            Broad-footed Mole
            The Broad-footed Mole is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is found in Baja California in Mexico and in California, Nevada and Oregon in the United States at elevations up to 3000 m. Its karyotype has 2n = 34, FN = 64....

            , Scapanus latimanus
          • Coast Mole
            Coast Mole
            The Coast Mole or Pacific Mole 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....

            , Scapanus orarius
          • Townsend's Mole
            Townsend's Mole
            The Townsend's Mole, Scapanus townsendii, is the largest North American mole.It is found in open lowland areas and open wooded areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California...

            , Scapanus townsendii
    • Subfamily Talpinae
      Talpinae
      The subfamily Talpinae, sometimes called "Old World moles" or "Old World moles and relatives", is one of three subfamilies of the mole family Talpidae, the others being the Scalopinae, or New World moles, and the Uropsilinae, or shrew-like moles....

      - Old World moles, desmans, and shrew-moles.
      • Tribe Talpini
        Talpini
        Talpini is a tribe, in the scientific classification system of binomial nomenclature. It encapsulates a group of mammals known as Old World Moles. It is a division of the subfamily Talpinae.-References:* Animal Diversity Web * Blackwell Synergy...

         - Old World moles
        • Genus Euroscaptor
          Euroscaptor
          Euroscaptor is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae family. Members are found in China, Japan and other countries of South and Southeast Asia.It contains the following six species to date:* Greater Chinese Mole...

          - six Asian species
          • Greater Chinese Mole
            Greater Chinese Mole
            The Greater Chinese Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China and Vietnam.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Euroscaptor grandis
          • Kloss's Mole
            Kloss's Mole
            The Kloss's Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in Laos, Malaysia, and Thailand.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Euroscaptor klossi
          • Long-nosed Mole
            Long-nosed Mole
            The Long-nosed Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to China.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Euroscaptor longirostris
          • Himalayan Mole
            Himalayan Mole
            The Himalayan Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in Bhutan, China, India, Malaysia, and Nepal.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007.*...

            , Euroscaptor micrura
          • Japanese Mountain Mole
            Japanese Mountain Mole
            The Japanese Mountain Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...

            , Euroscaptor mizura
          • Small-toothed Mole
            Small-toothed Mole
            The Small-toothed Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Vietnam. It is threatened by habitat loss....

            , Euroscaptor parvidens
        • Genus Mogera
          Mogera
          Mogera is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae family.It contains the following species:* Echigo Mole * Small Japanese Mole Mogera is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae family.It contains the following species:* Echigo Mole (Mogera etigo)* Small Japanese Mole Mogera is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae...

          - nine species from Japan, Korea, and Eastern China
          • Echigo Mole
            Echigo Mole
            The Echigo Mole is an endangered species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan.-Source:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Mogera etigo
          • Insular Mole
            Insular Mole
            The Insular Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China and Taiwan.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Mogera insularis
          • Kano Mole, Mogera kanoana
          • Kobe Mole
            Kobe Mole
            The Kobe Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Mogera kobeae
          • Small Japanese Mole
            Small Japanese Mole
            The Small Japanese Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Mogera imaizumii
          • Large Mole
            Large Mole
            The Large Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Mogera robusta
          • Sado Mole
            Sado Mole
            The Sado Mole or Tokuda's Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan.-Source:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Mogera tokudae
          • Japanese Mole
            Japanese Mole
            The Japanese Mole , also known as Temminck's Mole, is a species of mole native to East Asia. Its range extends south from the Ussuri River and the Amur River through Manchuria, Korea, and Japan. A solitary and diurnal species, it can live for up to 3.5 years in the wild.-External links:**...

            , Mogera wogura
          • Senkaku Mole, Mogera uchidai
        • Genus Parascaptor - White-tailed Mole, southern Asia
          • White-tailed Mole
            White-tailed Mole
            The White-tailed Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China, India, and Myanmar.It is the only species in the genus Parascaptor....

            , Parascaptor leucura
        • Genus Scaptochirus - Short-faced Mole, China
          • Short-faced Mole
            Short-faced Mole
            The Short-faced Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Scaptochirus. It is endemic to China.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Scaptochirus moschatus
        • Genus Talpa - nine species, Europe and western Asia
          • Altai Mole
            Altai Mole
            The Altai Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in northern Mongolia through the Taiga zone of the Siberia in Russia....

            , Talpa altaica
          • Blind Mole
            Blind Mole
            The Blind Mole , also known as the Mediterranean Mole, is a mole found in the Mediterranean region. It is similar to the European Mole, differing most prominently in having eyes covered with skin. It is found in Albania, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro, Portugal, San Marino, Serbia,...

            , Talpa caeca
          • Caucasian Mole
            Caucasian Mole
            The Caucasian Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Russia.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Talpa caucasica
          • European Mole
            European Mole
            The European Mole, Talpa europaea, is a mammal of the order Soricomorpha. It is also known as the Common Mole and the Northern Mole....

            , Talpa europaea
          • Père David's Mole, Talpa davidiana
          • Levant Mole
            Levant Mole
            The Levant Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in Bulgaria, Russia, and Turkey.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Talpa levantis
          • Spanish Mole
            Spanish Mole
            The Spanish Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in Portugal and Spain.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Talpa occidentalis
          • Roman Mole
            Roman Mole
            The Roman Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in France and Italy.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Talpa romana
          • Balkan Mole
            Balkan Mole
            The Balkan Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia.-References:* Insectivore Specialist Group 1996. . Downloaded on 30 July 2007....

            , Talpa stankovici
      • Tribe Scaptonychini - Long-tailed Mole
        • Genus Scaptonyx - Long-tailed Mole (China and Myanmar)
          • Long-tailed Mole
            Long-tailed Mole
            The Long-tailed Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is the only species in the genus Scaptonyx. It is found in China, Vietnam and Myanmar.-References:...

            , Scaptonyx fusicaudus
      • Tribe Desmanini - desmans
        • Genus Desmana
          • Russian Desman
            Russian Desman
            The Russian Desman is a small semi-aquatic mammal that inhabits the Volga, Don and Ural River basins in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It constructs burrows into the banks of ponds and slow-moving streams, but prefers small, overgrown ponds with abundance of insects, crayfish and amphibians...

            , Desmana moschata
        • Genus Galemys
          • Pyrenean Desman
            Pyrenean Desman
            The Pyrenean Desman is a small semi-aquatic mammal that lives in the Pyrenees to the Iberian peninsula. The Pyrenean Desman is in the monotypic genus Galemys. The Pyrenean Desman lives in mountain streams....

            , Galemys pyrenaicus
      • Tribe Urotrichini
        Urotrichini
        Urotrichini are Japanese and American shrew-moles belonging to the Old World Moles and Relatives branch of the mole family. There are only three species, each of which represents its own genus. The name "Shrew-moles" refers to their morphological resemblance to shrews, while generally being thought...

         - Japanese shrew-moles
        • Genus Dymecodon
          • True's Shrew Mole
            True's Shrew Mole
            True's Shrew Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan.It is the only species in the genus Dymecodon . It was recently removed from the genus Urotrichus.-References:...

            , Dymecodon pilirostris
        • Genus Urotrichus
          • Japanese Shrew Mole
            Japanese Shrew Mole
            The Japanese Shrew Mole or Himizu is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is endemic to Japan. It is one of three Urotrichini and it is the only species in the genus Urotrichus.-References:...

            , Urotrichus talpoides
      • Tribe Neurotrichini
        Neurotrichini
        Neurotrichini is a tribe within the subfamily Talpinae of the mole family. It includes the living genus Neurotrichus—with a single living species, the American shrew-mole as well as some fossil species—and the fossil Quyania....

         - New World shrew-moles
        • Genus Neurotrichus
          Neurotrichus
          Neurotrichus is a genus of shrew-like moles. It is classified, together with the fossil genus Quyania, in the tribe Neurotrichini of the subfamily Talpinae. The only living species is the American shrew-mole of the northwestern United States and British Columbia...

          - Shrew-mole (aka. "American Shrew Mole" Pacific northwest USA, southwest British Columbia.)
          • Shrew-mole, Neurotrichus gibbsii
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