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Talpidae

(Family)

Overview

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The family Talpidae includes the moles, shrew moles, desmans, and other intermediate forms of small insectivorous mammals of the order Soricomorpha. Talpids are all digging animals 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 is equally adept in the water and underground. Talpids are found across the northern hemisphere and SouthernAsia, Europe, and North America, although there are none in Ireland nor anywhere in the Americas south of northern Mexico.

The first talpids evolved from shrew-like animals which adapted to digging late in the Dawn Age of Mammals in Europe. The most primitive living talpids are believed to be the shrew-like moles, with other species having adapted further into the subterranean, and, in some cases, aquatic lifestyles.2]

Characteristics

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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 always 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.[3] The external ears are very small or absent.[4] Talpids rely primarily on their sense of touch, 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 of talpids points backwards, and they have no scrotum.[3]

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 and the humeral head are connected. The tibia and the fibula are partially fused in all talpids. The pubis does not connect the two halves of the pelvic girdle. The skull is long, narrow, and rather flattened.[4]

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:

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 at least one species, the star-nosed mole, will share burrows, talpids are known to engage in much territorial behavior, including extraordinarily fast battles.[3]

Classification

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The family is divided into 3 subfamilies, 17 genera and 44 species.

Relationship with humans

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All species in the Talpidae family are classed as "prohibited new organisms" under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 preventing them from being imported into the country.[5]

2">[3] The external ears are very small or absent.[4] Talpids rely primarily on their sense of touch, 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 of talpids points backwards, and they have no scrotum.[3]

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 and the humeral head are connected. The tibia and the fibula are partially fused in all talpids. The pubis does not connect the two halves of the pelvic girdle. The skull is long, narrow, and rather flattened.[4]

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:

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 at least one species, the star-nosed mole, will share burrows, talpids are known to engage in much territor ial behavior, including extraordinarily fast battles.[3]

Classification

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The family is divided into 3 subfamilies, 17 genera and 44 species.

Relationship with humans

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All species in the Talpidae family are classed as "prohibited new organisms" under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 preventing them from being imported into the country.[5]

References

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  1. ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 300-311. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
  2. ^ Savage, RJG, & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 53. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X. 
  3. ^ a b c d Gorman, Martyn (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 766?769. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
  4. ^ a b Grzimek, Bernhard. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mammals I. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1975. Print.
  5. ^ Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 - Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms, New Zealand Government, http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556, retrieved 26 January 2012 

Taxonomy

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The Family Talpidae is a member of the Superfamily Talpoidea. Here is the complete "parentage" of Talpidae:

The Family Talpidae is further organized into finer groupings including:

Genera

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Archaeodesmana

[more]

Asthenoscapter

[more]

Condylura

The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) 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. It is the only member of the tribe Condylurini and the genus Condylura. [more]

Desmana

The Russian Desman (Desmana moschata) (Russian: ) 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. The Russian Desman often lives in small (usually non-kin related) groups of 2 to 5 animals and appears to have a complex (but largely unstudied) communication and social system. [more]

Desmanella

[more]

Desmanodon

[more]

Domninoides

Dymecodon

A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]

Eotalpa

[more]

Euroscaptor

Euroscaptor is a genus of in the Talpidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Galemys

The Pyrenean Desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) 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. [more]

Geotrypus

Hesperoscalops

Mogera

Mogera is a genus of in the Talpidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Mygalea

Mygatalpa

Mystipterus

Myxomygale

Nesoscaptor

Mogera is a genus of in the Talpidae family. It contains the following species: [more]

Neurotrichus

Neurotrichus is a genus of shrew-like moles. It is classified, together with the fossil genus , in the tribe Neurotrichini of the subfamily Talpinae. The only living species is the American shrew-mole (N. gibbsii) of the northwestern United States and British Columbia. A fossil species, ?Neurotrichus columbianus from the Hemphillian of Oregon, was placed in the genus in 1968, but this animal is now thought to be more closely related to the Chinese fossil genus Yanshuella. Another fossil species, Neurotrichus polonicus from the Plio-Pleistocene of Poland, was assigned to Neurotrichus in 1980, and a second Polish Pliocene species, N. minor was added in 1993. Although it was proposed in 2004 to place these two species in Quyania, this has not been universally accepted. Because the name N. minor was preoccupied, it was replaced with Neurotrichus skoczeni in 2010. [more]

Parascalops

The Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri), also known as Brewer's Mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus Parascalops. [more]

Parascaptor

The White-tailed Mole (Parascaptor leucura) is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in China, India, and Myanmar. [more]

Paratalpa

Proscapanus

Quadrodens

Scalopoides

Scalopus

The eastern mole or common mole (Scalopus aquaticus) 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. The species is native to Canada (Ontario), Mexico, and the eastern United States, and has the widest range of any North American mole. [more]

Scapanoscapter

Scapanulus

The Gansu mole (Scapanulus oweni) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae endemic to China. It is the only species in the genus Scapanulus. The mole is the only member of a tribe of genera commonly known as "New World Moles", the Scalopini, not to actually live in North America. [more]

Scapanus

Scapanus is a 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. As they are one genus, they are very closely related, but as species, they rarely if ever interbreed successfully. [more]

Scaptochirus

The Short-faced Mole (Scaptochirus moschatus) is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Scaptochirus.[] It is endemic to China. [more]

Scaptonyx

The Long-tailed Mole (Scaptonyx fusicaudus) 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. [more]

Storchia

Talpa

[more]

Tenuibrachiatum

Uropsilus

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. Although they are similar to shrews in size, external appearance, and, presumably, ecological habits, they are nevertheless Talpids and considered True Moles. [more]

Urotrichus

The Japanese Shrew Mole or Himizu (???) (Urotrichus talpoides) 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. [more]

At least 9 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Urotrichus.

More info about the Genus Urotrichus may be found here.

References

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  1. ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 300-311. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
  2. ^ Savage, RJG, & Long, MR (1986). Mammal Evolution: an illustrated guide. New York: Facts on File. pp. 53. ISBN 0-8160-1194-X. 
  3. ^ a b c d Gorman, Martyn (1984). Macdonald, D.. ed. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 766?769. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 
  4. ^ a b Grzimek, Bernhard. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mammals I. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1975. Print.
  5. ^ Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 - Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms, New Zealand Government, http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556, retrieved 26 January 2012 

Footnotes

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  1. http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=112681

Sources

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Last Revised: August 24, 2012
2012/08/24 13:44:18