Eastern Mole
Encyclopedia
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.
The species prefers the loam
y soils found in thin woods
, field
s, pasture
s, and meadow
s, and builds both deep and shallow burrow
s characterized by discarded excess soil collected in molehill
s. Its nest
is composed of leaves and grasses, and its two to five young are on their own at about four weeks. Its diet consists principally of earthworm
s and other soil life, but the mole will eat vegetable matter.
Dogs, cats, fox
es, and coyote
s prey upon the mole, and the species hosts a variety of parasites. Unlike gophers, moles do not eat vegetation and pose no threat to human concerns; the occasional damage to lawns is offset by the aeration provided the soil and consumption of insects. The construction of golf courses has provided the mole with ideal habitat. The species is abundant, occurs in protected areas, faces no major threats and is of little concern to conservationists.
The very large front feet are broader rather than long with well-developed claws, and possess a specialized sesamoid bone
attached to the wrist that aids digging. The front feet are normally held in a vertical position with the palms facing outward. Both the front feet and the small hind feet are fringed with sensory hairs that help the mole in its excavations. The bones of the front limbs and the breast are hugely enlarged, and provide strong support for the attached muscles used in digging. The hip girdle is narrow, permitting the mole to turn around in its tunnel by doing a partial somersault or doubling back upon itself.
The mole has grey-brown, plushlike fur with paler or browner underparts, and may appear to have a silver sheen depending on the angle it is viewed. The fur offers little resistance to backward movement in the tunnel. Compared to the female, the male tends to have a brighter orange strip on the belly being caused by secretion of skin glands in the region. Albinos occur but these may appear white, orange, or cinnamon yellow depending on the skin gland secretion. The face, feet, and tail are whitish to pink. Molting occurs in the spring and fall with the new pelage appearing first on the underparts. On the back, the new fur appears first at the tail then works forward. A distinct line usually marks the old and new fur, and there is no distinct underfur. The hairs are of equal length, and, when viewed microscopically, are seen to possess a whip-like tip unlike the hairs of any other mammal.
The sexes are determined externally by the number of openings in the groin
area: the female has three – the forward one is the urinary opening (in the urinary papilla or projection), the second is the vagina
, and the third is the anus
at the tail. The male has two openings – the combined urinary/reproductive opening in the penis
, and the anus. The testes never descend into a scrotum
but remain within the body cavity. There are six teats on the belly – a pair at the chest, a pair at the groin, and a pair between the two. A rank, musky odor is emitted from a scent gland on the belly, and is left on the floor of the tunnel as the mole passes. It probably serves as a form of communication between the sexes during the breeding season, and to discourage predators. Other scent glands are found at the anus.
averaged: total length 142, tail 24.5, hind foot 17.8 mm. In Hillsborough
and Pasco counties in Florida, the eastern mole is still smaller, and in the area north of Tampa Bay
, total length does not exceed 140 mm, and the hind foot rarely exceeds 17 mm. The smallest and darkest moles are those found in the Miami
area. In Pennsylvania
, specimens range in weight from 40 to 64 grams. The tooth count numbers 36 (I3/2; C1/0; P3/3; M3/3), and the diploid number is 34.
), Mexico, and the United States, and has the widest range of any North American mole. In the United States, the species is found from southern South Dakota and southern Wisconsin
to eastern Massachusetts and south to the tip of Florida
and Louisiana
and west to Nebraska
, Kansas
, and central Texas. It is absent in the Appalachian Mountains
.
The species is found in the southern tip of Ontario, and northern Tamaulipas
, Mexico. Its distribution, however, is patchy. Colonies in southwestern Texas and Coahuila
, Mexico and Tamaulipas, Mexico are isolated and small.
The species prefers well-drained, loose, sandy or loamy soil, and avoids heavy clay, stony or gravelly soils, and very dry or very wet soils. It frequents pastures, open fields, meadows, and thin woods. In some marginal areas, human activities such as the building of roads and golf courses often provide beneficial habitat due to higher quality soils and adequate moisture.
Moles probably have a long life span due to a paucity of predators and a low reproductive rate. The young are grayer than the adults, and, with age, the skull flattens and the teeth display wear. Females live longer than males. Longevity has been estimated at 6 years with mark-recapture methods in South Carolina
. In Kansas, longevity was estimated at greater than 3.5 years. The eastern mole is common in most of the United States, but populations in southern Texas
and Mexico are considered extremely rare and possibly extinct.
The eastern mole is voracious and will daily consume food equal to 25 to 100% of its weight. In captivity, it will eat almost anything including ground beef and dog food. In its natural environment, the species principally diets on earthworm
s when these are available, but will eat many other foods including slugs, snails, centipedes, larval and adult insects, scarab beetle
grubs, and ants at all their life stages. Vegetable matter is consumed in great quantities and Indiana specimens collected in 1974 were found to have stomachs completely filled with grass seeds.
When digging new burrows, the mole will push excess soil up through vertical shafts called "molehills". New burrows just below the surface are marked by ridges and molehills, and such burrows appear to be used to facilitate the capture of earthworms and other soil life after a rain. In building burrows and probably at other times, the mole uses its nose as a tactile organ, poking about here and there. In friable soil, the species can burrow at a rate of 6 meters per hour.
The mole's nest is built of leaves and grasses, and is usually situated several inches to a foot or more below the surface. It is typically found beneath a boulder, stump, or bush, and has several approaches including one that enters from below. The eastern mole in Florida is reported to not build a nest.
s are some of the predators of the species. The eastern mole harbors many parasites. One hundred four moles taken in Indiana exhibited four species of fleas, one species of sucking louse, one species of beetle, and at least twenty species of mites, several of them entirely new species with one of them, Scalopacarus, constituting a new genus.
Linnaeus based the original description of the species upon a specimen found dead in the water, a fact noted on the collection label. He named the species aquaticus, certainly a misnomer because the species is the least aquatic of North American moles.
The first part of the scientific name, Scalopus, is from two Greek words which mean "digging" and "foot" (skalops, "mole", derived from the word "to dig" and pous, "foot"). The word refers to the species' large front feet which are used for digging.
The second word of the name, aquaticus, is Latin and means "found in water". The word is misleading but was given to the species because its webbed foot suggested it was accustomed to a water habitat, and the original specimen was found dead in water.
The first part of the common name, "eastern", refers to the species' range, and the second part, "mole" is from the Middle English
molle which in turn is related to another Middle English word, mold-warpe, which means "earth-thrower".
and West Virginia
, and Pleistocene
cave faunas in Texas
.
s and Japanese beetle
s, and dig tunnels that aerate the soil and permit moisture to penetrate deeper soil layers. The pelt is small and does not take dyes well; it is thus of no commercial interest to the fur industry. When moles disfigure lawns, damage the roots of garden plants while searching for food, or take sprouting corn, they are considered undesirable. In one anecdote, a homeowner reported the animal completely eradicated the Japanese beetles on his grounds.
The species is listed as Least Concern
on the IUCN Red List
because of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, tolerance to some degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.
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...
and the only member
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Scalopus. Its large, hairless, spade shaped forefeet are adapted for digging
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...
. The species is native to 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...
(Ontario), Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and the eastern United States
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, the American East, or simply the East is traditionally defined as the states east of the Mississippi River. The first two tiers of states west of the Mississippi have traditionally been considered part of the West, but can be included in the East today; usually in...
, and has the widest range
Range (biology)
In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical area within which that species can be found. Within that range, dispersion is variation in local density.The term is often qualified:...
of any North American mole.
The species prefers the loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
y soils found in thin woods
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, field
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
s, pasture
Pasture
Pasture is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep or swine. The vegetation of tended pasture, forage, consists mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs...
s, and meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s, and builds both deep and 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 characterized by discarded excess soil collected in molehill
Molehill
A molehill is a conical mound of loose soil raised by small burrowing mammals, including moles, but also similar animals such as mole-rats, marsupial moles and voles...
s. Its nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
is composed of leaves and grasses, and its two to five young are on their own at about four weeks. Its diet consists principally of 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 and other soil life, but the mole will eat vegetable matter.
Dogs, cats, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s prey upon the mole, and the species hosts a variety of parasites. Unlike gophers, moles do not eat vegetation and pose no threat to human concerns; the occasional damage to lawns is offset by the aeration provided the soil and consumption of insects. The construction of golf courses has provided the mole with ideal habitat. The species is abundant, occurs in protected areas, faces no major threats and is of little concern to conservationists.
Description
The eastern mole is a small, sturdy animal which lives principally underground and is highly specialized for a subterranean way of life. Its body is somewhat cylindrically shaped with an elongated head. A fleshy, moveable snout projecting over the mouth with nostrils on the upper part is used as an organ of touch. The minute, degenerative eyes are hidden in the fur; the eyelids are fused and sight is limited to simply distinguishing between light and dark. The ear opening is small and concealed in the fur, but hearing is fairly acute. A short, thick tail is lightly furred and is used as an organ of touch, guiding the mole when it moves backward in the tunnel.The very large front feet are broader rather than long with well-developed claws, and possess a specialized sesamoid bone
Sesamoid bone
In anatomy, a sesamoid bone is a bone embedded within a tendon.Sesamoids are found in locations where a tendon passes over a joint, such as the hand, knee, and foot. Functionally, they act to protect the tendon and to increase its mechanical effect. The presence of the sesamoid bone holds the...
attached to the wrist that aids digging. The front feet are normally held in a vertical position with the palms facing outward. Both the front feet and the small hind feet are fringed with sensory hairs that help the mole in its excavations. The bones of the front limbs and the breast are hugely enlarged, and provide strong support for the attached muscles used in digging. The hip girdle is narrow, permitting the mole to turn around in its tunnel by doing a partial somersault or doubling back upon itself.
The mole has grey-brown, plushlike fur with paler or browner underparts, and may appear to have a silver sheen depending on the angle it is viewed. The fur offers little resistance to backward movement in the tunnel. Compared to the female, the male tends to have a brighter orange strip on the belly being caused by secretion of skin glands in the region. Albinos occur but these may appear white, orange, or cinnamon yellow depending on the skin gland secretion. The face, feet, and tail are whitish to pink. Molting occurs in the spring and fall with the new pelage appearing first on the underparts. On the back, the new fur appears first at the tail then works forward. A distinct line usually marks the old and new fur, and there is no distinct underfur. The hairs are of equal length, and, when viewed microscopically, are seen to possess a whip-like tip unlike the hairs of any other mammal.
The sexes are determined externally by the number of openings in the groin
Groin
In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...
area: the female has three – the forward one is the urinary opening (in the urinary papilla or projection), the second is the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
, and the third is the anus
Anus
The anus is an opening at the opposite end of an animal's digestive tract from the mouth. Its function is to control the expulsion of feces, unwanted semi-solid matter produced during digestion, which, depending on the type of animal, may be one or more of: matter which the animal cannot digest,...
at the tail. The male has two openings – the combined urinary/reproductive opening in the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
, and the anus. The testes never descend into a scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...
but remain within the body cavity. There are six teats on the belly – a pair at the chest, a pair at the groin, and a pair between the two. A rank, musky odor is emitted from a scent gland on the belly, and is left on the floor of the tunnel as the mole passes. It probably serves as a form of communication between the sexes during the breeding season, and to discourage predators. Other scent glands are found at the anus.
Measurements
The mole is about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in length including a 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long tail and weighs about 75 grams (2.6 oz). Males collected from various parts of the species's range showed the following extremes in measurements: total length 152–184, tail 22–30, hind foot 18–21 mm, and females displayed extremes of: total length 144-16, tail 15–28, hind foot 18–21 mm, weight 40–50 grams. Males are larger than females and males collected in the northern Midwest were largest of all. Twelve adults from northeastern FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
averaged: total length 142, tail 24.5, hind foot 17.8 mm. In Hillsborough
Hillsborough County, Florida
As of the census of 2000, there were 998,948 people, 391,357 households, and 255,164 families residing in the county. The population density was 951 people per square mile . There were 425,962 housing units at an average density of 405 per square mile...
and Pasco counties in Florida, the eastern mole is still smaller, and in the area north of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
, total length does not exceed 140 mm, and the hind foot rarely exceeds 17 mm. The smallest and darkest moles are those found in the Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
area. In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, specimens range in weight from 40 to 64 grams. The tooth count numbers 36 (I3/2; C1/0; P3/3; M3/3), and the diploid number is 34.
Distribution and habitat
The eastern mole is native to Canada (OntarioOntario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), Mexico, and the United States, and has the widest range of any North American mole. In the United States, the species is found from southern South Dakota and southern Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to eastern Massachusetts and south to the tip of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and west to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and central Texas. It is absent in the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
.
The species is found in the southern tip of Ontario, and northern Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, Mexico. Its distribution, however, is patchy. Colonies in southwestern Texas and Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, Mexico and Tamaulipas, Mexico are isolated and small.
The species prefers well-drained, loose, sandy or loamy soil, and avoids heavy clay, stony or gravelly soils, and very dry or very wet soils. It frequents pastures, open fields, meadows, and thin woods. In some marginal areas, human activities such as the building of roads and golf courses often provide beneficial habitat due to higher quality soils and adequate moisture.
Population characteristics
In a study from 1976, home range areas of seven moles were calculated after each had been located periodically during periods ranging from 11 months to 3 years. The mean home range area was 0.74 hectares (1.8 acre); males averaged 1.09 hectares (2.7 acre), and females 0.28 hectare (0.691894456442773 acre). Because the male range is so large, males generally predominate in samples. The species' fossorial habit tends to limit its dispersal and gene flow, and soil character often limits populations. Eastern moles are good swimmers and not limited by rivers, but heavy clay soils associated with some waterways may limit dispersal.Moles probably have a long life span due to a paucity of predators and a low reproductive rate. The young are grayer than the adults, and, with age, the skull flattens and the teeth display wear. Females live longer than males. Longevity has been estimated at 6 years with mark-recapture methods in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. In Kansas, longevity was estimated at greater than 3.5 years. The eastern mole is common in most of the United States, but populations in southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Mexico are considered extremely rare and possibly extinct.
Behavior
The species is more abundant in warm climes rather than cool or cold climes, and in the southern United States, cultivated fields will often be riddled with their burrows after a penetrating rain. The eastern mole is active at all hours with peaks in activity near dawn and at dusk. Length of time between bouts of activity average about 3 hours, but may last up to as many as 6.5 hours.Diet
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 when these are available, but will eat many other foods including slugs, snails, centipedes, larval and adult insects, scarab beetle
Scarabaeidae
The family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite...
grubs, and ants at all their life stages. Vegetable matter is consumed in great quantities and Indiana specimens collected in 1974 were found to have stomachs completely filled with grass seeds.
Burrowing
The eastern mole digs both deep, permanent burrows and shallow, temporary ones just under the surface, used for foraging. The regular, permanent highway is often built 25 cm or more below the surface and is used as a retreat during hot, dry weather or when frost has descended.The mole's nest is built of leaves and grasses, and is usually situated several inches to a foot or more below the surface. It is typically found beneath a boulder, stump, or bush, and has several approaches including one that enters from below. The eastern mole in Florida is reported to not build a nest.
Vocalizations
Moles vocalize by making high-pitched squeals, harsh, guttural squeaks, short snorting sounds, and grating the teeth.Reproduction
Gestation is usually 45 days and a single litter of two to five young is produced between mid-April and June. In warm climates, the young may be born in March. They are born blind and naked, and are relatively large compared to the size of the mother. At ten days, they exhibit a fine, velvety light-gray fur which is retained for several weeks. Rapid growth permits the young to leave the nest and shift for themselves at about four weeks.Survival
Dogs, cats, foxes, and coyoteCoyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s are some of the predators of the species. The eastern mole harbors many parasites. One hundred four moles taken in Indiana exhibited four species of fleas, one species of sucking louse, one species of beetle, and at least twenty species of mites, several of them entirely new species with one of them, Scalopacarus, constituting a new genus.
Scientific and common names
The first part of the scientific name, Scalopus, is from two Greek words which mean "digging" and "foot" (skalops, "mole", derived from the word "to dig" and pous, "foot"). The word refers to the species' large front feet which are used for digging.
The second word of the name, aquaticus, is Latin and means "found in water". The word is misleading but was given to the species because its webbed foot suggested it was accustomed to a water habitat, and the original specimen was found dead in water.
The first part of the common name, "eastern", refers to the species' range, and the second part, "mole" is from the Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
molle which in turn is related to another Middle English word, mold-warpe, which means "earth-thrower".
Fossils
Fossil remains have been reported from the upper Ohio Valley in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
cave faunas in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Interaction with humans and conservation
Moles till and form soil, feed on destructive insects such as cutwormCutworm
Cutworms are not worms, biologically speaking, but caterpillars; they are moth larvae that hide under litter or soil during the day, coming out in the dark to feed on plants...
s and Japanese beetle
Japanese beetle
The beetle species Popillia japonica is commonly known as the Japanese beetle. It is about long and wide, with iridescent copper-colored elytra and green thorax and head...
s, and dig tunnels that aerate the soil and permit moisture to penetrate deeper soil layers. The pelt is small and does not take dyes well; it is thus of no commercial interest to the fur industry. When moles disfigure lawns, damage the roots of garden plants while searching for food, or take sprouting corn, they are considered undesirable. In one anecdote, a homeowner reported the animal completely eradicated the Japanese beetles on his grounds.
The species is listed as Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
because of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, tolerance to some degree of habitat modification, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.