Family: Talpidae, Moles view all from this family
Description Black fur. Long, hairy tail. Large digging forelegs. 22 pink fleshy projections on nose. L 6–8 1/4" (152–211 mm); T 2 1/8–3 1/4" (53–84 mm); HF 1–1 1/8" (26–30 mm); Wt 1–2 5/8 oz (30–75 g).
Breeding 1 litter per year of 4–7 young born in an underground nest, usually April–May but occasionally as late as August. Gestation about 45 days.
Habitat Wet woods, fields, or swamps; sometimes relatively dry areas and lawns.
Range Southeastern Canada and ne U.S. from much of Minnesota east through Appalachians and along coastal Virginia. Isolated populations along Georgia coast.
Discussion This mole’s tentacle-like nose projections are mobile and very sensitive, apparently helping the animal to find its way about the burrow and locate food. It has been hypothesized that the tentacles act as an electrical sensing device for detecting prey. When the Star-nosed Mole forages in the muck near its main burrows, presumably after earthworms, its favorite food, its tentacles are constantly in motion. When it eats, however, they are clumped together out of the way. An adept diver and swimmer, this mole also eats many aquatic animals, including fish. It propels itself in water, even under ice, by moving its feet and tail in unison. The Star-nosed Mole is more dependent on water during winter, when the frozen ground makes obtaining its usual foods difficult. Its nests are constructed of leaves, grass, or other vegetation, usually in a hummock or other raised area above the moist habitat. The young develop rapidly and by three weeks leave the nest to hunt for themselves. Most shrews and moles are not often seen out of the nest until they are nearly full size, but smaller young of this species have occasionally been seen aboveground.
