Townsend's Mole
Encyclopedia
The Townsend's Mole, Scapanus townsendii, is the largest North America
n 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
. This animal's total range in Canada
is estimated to be 20 km²
(20 square kilometre).
This animal has velvety black fur, a pointed snout and a short thick nearly hairless tail. It is about 21 centimetres (8.3 in) in length including a 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long tail and weighs about 138 grams (4.9 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging; the rear paws are smaller. It has 44 teeth. Its ears are not visible and it has small eyes. It is similar in appearance to the smaller Coast Mole
.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrow
s for earthworm
s, small invertebrate
s and plant material. It is active year round.
This animal is mainly solitary except during mating in late winter. The female has a litter of 2 to 4 young in a deep underground burrow.
This animal was named after the American
naturalist John Kirk Townsend
, who first described it.
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...
n mole
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...
.
It is found in open lowland areas and open wooded areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to northwestern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. This animal's total range in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is estimated to be 20 km²
1 E7 m²
To help compare sizes of different geographic regions, we list here areas between 10 km2 and 100 km2...
(20 square kilometre).
This animal has velvety black fur, a pointed snout and a short thick nearly hairless tail. It is about 21 centimetres (8.3 in) in length including a 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long tail and weighs about 138 grams (4.9 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging; the rear paws are smaller. It has 44 teeth. Its ears are not visible and it has small eyes. It is similar in appearance to the smaller 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....
.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow 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 for 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, small invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s and plant material. It is active year round.
This animal is mainly solitary except during mating in late winter. The female has a litter of 2 to 4 young in a deep underground burrow.
This animal was named after the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
naturalist John Kirk Townsend
John Kirk Townsend
John Kirk Townsend was an American naturalist, ornithologist and collector.Townsend was born in Philadelphia and trained as a physician and pharmacist. He developed an interest in natural history in general and bird collecting in particular...
, who first described it.