10 Interesting Star Nosed Mole Facts

Sunday, September 11th 2016. | Animals


Look at Star Nosed Mole Facts in the following post below if you want to be informed with a unique animal. This small mole has the scientific name Condylura cristata. It can be found living in northeastern United States and eastern Canada. It prefers to settle on the wet low areas. The mole is also spotted reaching southeastern Georgia and Atlantic coast.

Star Nosed Mole Facts 1: how to identify star nosed mole

It‘s very easy to identify the star nosed mole due to the presence of 22 pink fleshy appendages located at the snout.

Star Nosed Mole Facts 2: the function of appendages

Do you know the function of the appendages? They feature at least 25,000 minute sensory receptions which function as the touch organ. It is called as Eimer’s organs. Therefore, the seismic wave vibrations can be detected easily. Look at facts about the Cotton Top Tamarin here.

star nosed mole facts

star nosed mole facts

Star Nosed Mole Facts 3: the size of adult star-nosed mole

The body length of an adult star-nosed mole reaches 5.9 to 7.9 inches or 15 to 20 cm.  The weight is around 2 oz or 55 grams. Check facts about the Kakapo here.

Star Nosed Mole Facts 4: the fur and teeth

The fur of star-nosed mole will repel water. It is thick. The color is blackish brown. It has 44 teeth. The tail is thick and long. The feet are in large scale. During the spring season, the mole will use the fat stored in the tail.

star nosed mole images

star nosed mole images

Star Nosed Mole Facts 5: the pink appendages

As I have stated before, the pink appendages are considered as the most distinctive feature in this mole. It allows the mole to detect the presence of food like crustaceans, insects and worms.

Star Nosed Mole Facts 6: the nose

The diameter of the nose is around 1 cm. There are 22 appendages on the nose which contain at least 25,000 Eimer’s organs.

star nosed mole pic

star nosed mole pic

Star Nosed Mole Facts 7: the first description of Eimer’s organ

Theodor Eimer was the German zoologist who described the Eimer’s organs for the first time in 1871 in European mole.  This organ is also spotted in star nosed mole. It allows them to detect the prey animals during the electrical activity since the mole is blind.

Star Nosed Mole Facts 8: the fastest eating mammal

Star nosed mole takes the record as the fastest eating mammal based on a journal Nature.

star nosed mole pictures

star nosed mole pictures

Star Nosed Mole Facts 9: the speed

To identify and eat a prey, this mole only needs 120 milliseconds.

Star Nosed Mole Facts 10: the underwater activity

Even though the mole is underwater, it can employ the snout to smell the prey.

star nosed mole

star nosed mole

What do you think on facts about star nosed mole?


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