Hairy-tailed Mole
Parascalops breweri
Summary 4
The hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri), also known as Brewer's mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus Parascalops.
Habitat and ecology 5
Habitat and Ecology
It inhabits deciduous woodlands with thick humus. It is adapted to second growth stands, old fields, hedgerows, and prefers well-drained, light, moist soil with well-mixed organic matter and minerals. It avoids soils that are hard, dry, or with a large clay content. Two tunnel systems are constructed. A deeper system (10-18" deep) gives resting, breeding space, and winter shelter. Males leave tunnel systems in search of females in breeding season. Breeding is from March-April, and gestation lasts for four weeks. Litter size is four to five. Young are born in April-May, and there is usually one litter annually. Sexual maturity is attained 11 months after birth. This species eats primarily soil invertebrates; earthworms, insect larvae, and pupae comprise approximately two-thirds of diet.
Systems
- Terrestrial
Associations 6
Because these are tunneling mammals, hairy-tailed moles assist in aeration of soil. They also likely play a role in regulating populations of invertebrates upon which they feed.
Ecosystem Impact: soil aeration
Ecology 7
Home range is about 0.2 acres, expands in summer. Densities vary from 1.2 to ll per acre (Eadie 1939).
Behaviour 8
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Threats 9
Major Threats
There are no known threats to this species.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Kyle Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kyle Jones
- (c) Rob Curtis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Curtis
- (c) Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/anatomical_images/kinds_of_cheek_teeth/dilambdodont_upper/medium.jpg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parascalops_breweri
- (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34630756
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31413249
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28881452
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31413246
- (c) International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34630757
