Star-nosed Mole
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Insectivora Family: Talpidae Genus: Condylura Species: cristata
Binomial name
Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Star-nosed Mole, Condylura cristata, is a small North American mole found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States. It is the only member of genus Condylura. Scientific classification - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Bilateria Acoelomorpha Orthonectida Rhombozoa ?Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia    Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary... Families Erinaceidae Soricidae Talpidae Solenodontidae The biological order Insectivora in the past was used as a scrapbasket for a variety of small to very small, relatively unspecialized, insectivorous mammals. ... Genera Uropsilus Desmana Galemys Talpa Mogera Parascaptor Scaptochirus Scaptonyx Scapanulus Urotrichus Neurotrichus Scalopus Parascalops Scapanus Condylura For other meanings, see Mole (disambiguation). ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is a standard convention used for naming species. ... A painting of Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as Carl von Linné  listen, and who wrote under the Latinized name Carolus Linnaeus (May 23, 1707 – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish scientist who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of taxonomy. ... 1758 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is the third largest continent in area and in population after Eurasia and Africa. ... Genera Uropsilus Desmana Galemys Talpa Mogera Parascaptor Scaptochirus Scaptonyx Scapanulus Urotrichus Neurotrichus Scalopus Parascalops Scapanus Condylura For other meanings, see Mole (disambiguation). ...

It lives in wet lowland areas and eats aquatic insects, worms, molluscs and small fish. It is a good swimmer and can forage at the bottoms of ponds. Like other moles, this animal digs shallow surface tunnels for foraging; often, these tunnels exit underwater. It is active day and night and remains active in winter, tunneling through the snow. Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ...

This animal is covered in thick blackish brown waterproof fur and has a long thick tail and large scaled feet. It is 15 to 20 cm in length and weighs about 55 g. It has 44 teeth. Its most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 fleshy tentacles at the end of its snout.

The incredibly sensitive tentacles are covered with thousands of minute sensory receptors known as Eimer's organs and are used to identify food by touch and, it is suspected, by detecting electrical activity in prey animals. Other mole species also have Eimer's organs, but not in the same number as the Star-nosed Mole. Eimer's organs were first described in the European Mole in 1871 by German zoologist Theodor Eimer. A report in the journal Nature gives this animal the title of fastest-eating mammal, taking only 230 milliseconds to identify and consume food. Binomial name Talpa europaea Linnaeus, 1758 The European Mole, Talpa europaea, is a mammal of the order Insectivora. ... Gustav Heinrich Theodor Eimer (1843-1898) was a German zoologist. ... Nature is one of the oldest and most reputable general-purpose scientific journals, first published on November 4, 1869. ...

These animals mate in late winter or early spring. The female has one litter of 4 or 5 young in late spring or early summer.

Predators include the Red-tailed Hawk, Great Horned Owl, skunks, various mustelids and sometimes large fish. Binomial name Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) The Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, is a large North American hawk. ... Binomial name Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788) The Great Horned Owl, Bubo virginianus, is a very large owl. ... Subfamilies Lutrinae Melinae Mellivorinae Taxidiinae Mustelinae Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals. ...

External Link

• A Star is Born (http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/features/0600_feature2.html)
• Nature 433, 519–522 (2005) (http://www.nature.com/nature/links/050203/050203-9.html)