Scalopini
Encyclopedia
The Scalopini are a tribe
of moles
belonging to the Talpidae
family. They include all the New World
moles apart from the strikingly distinctive Star-nosed Mole
. As the similarity of the names implies, they are the standard form of the Scalopinae
, the North America
n or New World moles, and can be found virtually anywhere north of Northern Mexico
and south of Northern Canada
where environmental factors (chiefly the presence of soil) permit.
Although the morphological
differences between the Scalopini and the Old World
moles are not very apparent to non-experts, they were significant enough for the Gansu Mole
to be taken out of that group and added to the Scalopini in 1938. How a New World mole came to live in China remains a mystery and has prompted scientists to occasionally hesitate to continue calling the Scalopini "New World moles" without some caveat to acknowledge this fact. As a result, the Scalopini are sometimes called "New World moles and relatives".
There are four genera in the Scalpini:
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
of moles
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...
belonging to the Talpidae
Talpidae
The family Talpidae includes the moles, shrew moles, desmans, and other intermediate forms of small insectivorous mammals of the order Soricomorpha...
family. They include all the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
moles apart from the strikingly distinctive Star-nosed Mole
Star-nosed mole
The star-nosed mole is a small mole found in wet low areas of eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States, with records extending along the Atlantic coast as far as extreme southeastern Georgia...
. As the similarity of the names implies, they are the standard form of the Scalopinae
Scalopinae
The Scalopinae, or New World moles, are one of three subfamilies of the Talpidae family, which consists of moles and mole-like animals; the other two subfamilies being the Old World Talpids and the Chinese Shrew-like Moles...
, the North America
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 or New World moles, and can be found virtually anywhere north of Northern 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 south of Northern 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...
where environmental factors (chiefly the presence of soil) permit.
Although the morphological
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
differences between the Scalopini and the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
moles are not very apparent to non-experts, they were significant enough for the Gansu Mole
Gansu Mole
The Gansu Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is the only species in the genus Scapanulus. It the only member of a tribe of genera commonly known as "New World Moles", the Scalopini, not to actually live in North America. It is endemic to China....
to be taken out of that group and added to the Scalopini in 1938. How a New World mole came to live in China remains a mystery and has prompted scientists to occasionally hesitate to continue calling the Scalopini "New World moles" without some caveat to acknowledge this fact. As a result, the Scalopini are sometimes called "New World moles and relatives".
There are four genera in the Scalpini:
- Parascalops, the Hairy-tailed Mole of northeastern North America
- Scalopus, the common and widely distributed Eastern Mole
- ScapanusScapanusScapanus is a genus of moles in the family Talpidae. They live in North America from west of the Rockies south to Baja California del Norte, and north to British Columbia, wherever conditions permit a mole population; that is to say, apart from the most sandy, rocky, or developed places...
, three species of moles found west of the Rocky MountainsRocky MountainsThe Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States... - Scapanulus, the Gansu MoleGansu MoleThe Gansu Mole is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is the only species in the genus Scapanulus. It the only member of a tribe of genera commonly known as "New World Moles", the Scalopini, not to actually live in North America. It is endemic to China....
of China