Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6678191 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6671950 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0380B547-B657-FF86-9FBC-F812FE7BCEE7 |
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treatment provided by |
Valdenar |
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scientific name |
Condylura cristata |
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Star-nosed Mole
Condylura cristata View in CoL
French: Taupe a nez étoilé / German: Sternmull / Spanish: Topo de nariz estrellada
Taxonomy. Sorex cristatus Linnaeus, 1758 ,
“Pennsylvania,”
USA.
Condylura cristata is the only extant repre- sentative of the tribe Condylurini . It pos- sibly diverged from the main talpid line 30-49 million years ago. Subspecies parva is synonymized with nigra. Although two subspecies are generally accepted, their distributions are less consensual. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution. C.c.cristataLinnaeus,1758—SECanada(SManitoba,C&SOntario,SQuebec,andNewfoundland)andNEUSA(N&CMinnesota,Wisconsin,Michigan,NewYork,Vermont,NewHampshire,Maine,Massachusetts,Connecticut,RhodeIsland,NOhio,Pennsylvania,NewJersey,EWestVirginia,NVirginia,Maryland,andDelaware). C.c. nigra R. W. Smith, 1940 — E USA (S West Virginia, S Virginia, W & E North Carolina, E Tennessee, E South Carolina, and SE Georgia). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.96-128 mm,tail 65-83-5 mm, hindfoot 26-30 mm; weight 27-52 g. Sexes are of about same size; individuals in northern populations are larger than those further south; and sexes are otherwise similar in appearance. The Star-nosed Mole is one of the most distinctive mammalian species. Body is cylindrical, with annulated tail accounting for c.33% of head-body length. Tail has constricted base and tapers toward tip; cross section is rounded. In winter,tail swells 3-4 times its normal diameter and serves as a fat storage organ. Nose is encircled by eleven fleshy, 1-4mm tentacles on each side. About 5% of Star-nosed Moles have different number of tentacles than 22. Eyes are relatively large. Forefeet are broad; claws are stout and less robust than in fossorial moles. Fur is dense and coarse, black or dark brown, and lacks metallic sheen. Dorsum is darker than venter. Females have eight nipples. Skull is of characteristic mole proportions, but braincase is deeper, and rostrum is narrower. Cranial bones are exceptionally thin. Mandible is weak, with low mandibular corpus, reduced ramus, and delicate angular process. Dental formulais I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 3/3 (x2) = 44. Anterior incisors are large and proodont; molars are of modest size. Karyotype is 2n = 34.
Habitat. Variety of habitats with poor drainage and moist soil, including coniferous and deciduous forests, clearings, wet meadows, swamps, peat bogs, banks of streams,
lakes, and ponds from sea level up to elevations of ¢.1676 m. The Star-nosed Mole often lives in organic waste adjacent to water or beneath stacks of spoiled hay in meadows. It is distributed further north than any other Nearctic mole, reaching ¢.55° N latitude.
Food and Feeding. Terrestrial prey of the Star-nosed Mole is collected in surface tunnels and leaflitter; aquatic prey is picked up on bottoms of ponds and streams. Starnosed Moles living near water acquire only 12-25% of their food from the soil and the rest underwater. They forage even under ice of frozen ponds. Near large water bodies up to 80% of diet consists of aquatic annelids (particularly leeches Hirudinea), and aquatic insects contribute up to 30%. Larvae of caddisflies (Trichoptera), stoneflies ( Plecoptera ), midges ( Chironomidae ), dragonflies (Odonata), crane flies ( Tipulidae ), horse flies ( Tabanidae ), and diving beetles ( Dytiscidae ) are most important in the diet. Terrestrial insects, aquatic crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish are of minor importance. Where ponds are small, almost 84% of diet is earthworms. Captive Star-nosed Moles were maintained on a diet of earthworms ( Lumbricus ), leeches (Nephelopsis obscura), mealworms ( Tenebrio molitor), and meat, with addition of vitamins and calcium. Average daily ration was c.50% of an individual's body weight. Prey is detected by nasal tentacles that have more than 25,000 sensory receptors (Eimer’s organs). Tentacles can explore 13 different areas every second and need 25-50 millisecond per touch. As soon as prey is detected,it is captured with small, tweezer-like incisors. On average, a Star-nosed Mole needs 120-227 milliseconds to identify and eat a prey item particle; ten pieces as small as 0-2-2-0 mm in diameter can be swallowed in 2-3 seconds. Because handling time is extremely short, the Star-nosed Mole is effective at ingesting tiny particles and thus capable of survival in an environment saturated with small prey.
Breeding. Star-nosed Moles are monogamous. Males and females form pairs in autumn and mate in March-April the following year. During winter, their tails swell with deposited fatty tissue that provides energy needed during breeding. Testes start growing in January and contain spermatozoa by February. Only one litter is produced annually, but if the first reproductive attempt fails, a female can mate again and produce a litter as late as July or August. When young are born, males move away. Gestation lasts c.45 days. Based on numbers of embryos, litters have 2-7 young (means 4-4-5-4 young). Neonates are hairless, with eyes and ears closed. They are ¢.45 mm long and weigh 1-5 g. Star appendages are visible during uterine development when embryos are ¢.16 mm long. They look like elongated swellings on the embryonic face, with tips turned back. Swellings become separate cylinders just before birth, and shortly afterward, their tips turn forward and assume the final position. Hair starts growing at ten days of age, and eyes, ears, and star become functional after c.2 weeks. Young are independent at 21-30 days old when they weigh 31-33 g. They reach sexual maturity at c¢.10 months old. Star-nosed Moles lived for c.2 years in captivity. Life expectancy in the wild is not known with certainty but might be 3-4 years.
Activity patterns. Star-nosed Moles burrow in a manner characteristic of fossorial moles but are also semi-aquatic. Tunnels are 3:3.7-6 cm in diameter. Those excavated near marshy areas or streams commonly open directly into water. Deeper permanent tunnels descend up to 60 cm underground and serve for rearing young, resting, and foraging during winter. Shallow tunnels are less solid than those of other moles and serve as pitfalls for prey. Burrows in reed beds and lakeside habitats lack surface ridges and mounds. While excavating tunnels, Star-nosed Moles push soil onto the ground’s surface. Molehills are 25-60 cm wide and 15 cm high. In winter, they dig through snow and move onto its surface. In general, Star-nosed Moles come aboveground much more often than fossorial moles and can run short distances at 6-4-8 km/h. Nest chamber is typically above the water level and beneath a stump or log. It is an oblong cavity 13-18 cm wide and 8-13 cm high, lined with straw, dead leaves, and grasses. The Star-nosed Mole swims well by paddling with spade-like front feet, first with one foot and then the other. Alternate strokes of front and hindfeet result in characteristic zig-zag motion through the water. Tail acts as a rudder, and dense pelage provides an effective waterproofing. Mean dive lasts 9-2 seconds, and maximum dive lasts 47 seconds. Frequency of dives and their duration are positively correlated with water temperature. Star-nosed Moles seemingly spend more time in water in winter than summer. Circadian rhythm consists of cyclic 2-4 h intervals of activity, punctuated by 3-5 h long periods of inactivity. Body temperature generally tracks these cycles and varies from 36-6°C to 38-8°C. Higher temperature coincides with bursts of motor activity in soil. Basal metabolic rate of the Star-nosed Mole is relatively high, and body temperature is 0-6-1-7°C higher than in fossorial moles of same size. Nose with finger-like appendages probably provides a major pathway for heat loss in air and water. Star-nosed Moles can regulate body temperatures precisely at outside temperatures of 0-30°C. They rest curled upright, with head bent under forelimbs.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Star-nosed Moles can move more than 800 m from water in dry habitats. Home ranges are usually less than 4000 m2. Densities are normally up to 25 ind/ha, exceptionally 75 ind/ha. Star-nosed Moles might be more social than most other species of moles and presumably form small, loosely connected colonies of related individuals. They communicate by scent and vocalization. Young moles emit high-pitched squeals, and adults produce wheezing sounds.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Starnosed Mole is of special concern in South Carolina, USA.
Bibliography. Baker (1983), Bedford et al. (1999), Campbell et al. (1999), Catania (2000c, 2002), Catania & Remple (2005), Eadie & Hamilton (1956), Hamilton (1931), Hickman (1983), Jones & Birney (1988), Laerm, Chapman & Ford (2007a), Mcintyre et al. (2002), Merritt (1987), Paradiso (1959), Petersen & Yates (1980), Saunders (1988), Zera (2004).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
