Many people believe that moles spend their whole lives underground and dig underground tunnels relentlessly. This is only partially true. The fact is that in nature there is a variety of these animals that can live not only underground, but also on its surface, and even in water.
Condylura cristata (star mole) is a magnificent swimmer. Once in the water, he does not miss the opportunity to feast on small fish, crustaceans, mollusks.
Habitat
Mole starfish is found in southeastern Canada, northeastern regions of the United States. He prefers to settle in wet and damp areas: on the banks of streams, in damp forests and in marshy areas.
Behavior features
This mole differs from its closest relatives in that it quite often goes to the surface of the earth. Meanwhile, like all moles, he digs long underground tunnels. A large earthen hill on the surface is the entrance to his dwelling.
A star-shaped mole, a photo and a description of which does not appear too often on the pages of domestic publications for nature lovers, equips its house in a rotten stump or under swamp bumps. He carefully lines it with moss and dry leaves. Several underground passages will certainly lead to a reservoir.
Mole Starbringer: A Short Description
Our today's hero is an unusual creature in all respects, but its main distinguishing feature, no doubt, is a memorable appearance. What is outwardly remarkable is the mole-starfish? The photo below allows you to view 22 soft tentacles. They grow around a bare oval stigma. All this unusual design resembles an asterisk in shape.
Each appendage is a tentacle up to 4 mm long. All of them are very sensitive and mobile. The processes have many nerve endings, receptors and blood vessels. Scientists call them Aimer's organs. They are designed to receive and transmit information.
Out of 22, only 2 rays are always motionless. The rest are constantly exploring the surrounding space, studying prey. They instantly determine whether it can be eaten or not. The animal needs only eight milliseconds to determine the quality of its prey.
The physique is not much different from its relatives, the mole is a star-bearing: its trunk is strong, has a cylindrical shape. The head is elongated, on a short neck. The eyes are very small, barely noticeable. Auricles absent. On forepaws, fingers are long, spade-shaped, have large flattened claws.
The limbs are unusually turned outward, which helps the mole to carry out excavation work. The hind legs are five-fingered, they are similar in structure to the front, but not so adapted to digging underground passages. When you look at the photo, you may get the wrong impression that this is a huge monster - a mole-starter. The dimensions of the animal in reality are from 10 to 13 cm.
A further 8 cm in length adds the tail. It is much longer than other types of moles, covered with thick, hard wool. In winter, fat is stored in it. Therefore, in the fall, it increases in thickness by almost four times. The total mass of the animal does not exceed 80 grams.
Wool and color
The starfish mole is covered with much stiffer hair than regular moles. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it practically does not get wet. The coat color can be from dark brown to blue-black.
Food
The star-mole mole can find food everywhere and under any conditions: on the surface of the earth and in depth, in water. For the most part, the diet of animals consists of mollusks, earthworms, larvae, small fish. Even small mice and frogs get into the animal’s food.
The sensitivity of the tentacles located on the nose helps the mole to find the prey that it holds with its front paws. The animal is distinguished by its rapid grip, which allows it to be considered one of the most dexterous predators on Earth.
In the summer, when feed is abundant, the starfish mole is able to eat as much food as it weighs. In other periods, he consumes an average of 35 g of feed.
Lifestyle
The mole starfish, like all his closest relatives, devotes the bulk of his life to digging numerous underground passages. Some of them lead to a pond, others are connected with cameras for rest. The upper passages, which are located closer to the surface of the earth, are intended for hunting, the deeper - for shelters and raising offspring. The length of the underground labyrinths can reach three hundred meters. It is interesting that the animal moves along them faster than the rat runs.
In winter, the starfish can spend a long time in water under the ice. Animals do not hibernate; they hunt not only during the day, but also at night for the inhabitants of water bodies. Under a layer of snow, these moles look for wintering insects. On the surface of the soil, starfish are much more active than ordinary moles. They have their own paths in fallen leaves and dense thickets along which small living creatures move. In one day, this mole makes up to six hunting trips. In between, he rests and digests prey.
Starsmen can create small colonies. On one hectare settles up to forty individuals. Such groups, as a rule, are unstable and quite often break up. It is interesting that heterosexual individuals communicate outside the mating season.
Enemies
The mole starfish is constantly looking for food, but he himself is the object of hunting for dogs, nocturnal birds, foxes, skunks, martens. Under water, it can become the prey of bull frogs and large-mouthed perches. In winter, when there is not enough food, predators often dig out star-carriers from underground holes.
Progeny
Females of this species produce offspring once a year. About forty-five days of pregnancy continues. After this period, two to seven cubs are born. They are born completely naked and helpless, but they grow very quickly. By the tenth day, their body is covered with wool.
The female feeds the cubs with milk for three to four weeks. By ten months they already become sexually mature, capable of reproduction.
