Townsend's mole (Scapanus townsendii) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 3
Species Information
Name and classification
Moles belong to the Order Insectivora, Family Talpidae, which also includes shrew-moles and desmans. New World moles are in the Subfamily Talpinae. There are six species of moles in Canada. The two found in British Columbia are Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii) and the coast mole (S. orarius), both of which are restricted to the Lower Mainland.
There are two subspecies of Townsend’s mole. S. t. townsendii (Bachman) is found throughout the range, including in British Columbia. S. t. olympicus (Yates and Johnson) occurs at high elevations in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State.
Description
Townsend’s mole averages 205 mm in total length (range 179-237 mm), making it North America’s largest mole; in comparison, to the coast mole averages 162 mm. Tail length averages 38 mm (31-45), and mean hind foot length is 25 mm (23-29). Males weigh about 138 g (121–164) and females 113.5 g (96-122 ) (Nagorsen 1996). Townsend’s mole and the Pacific coast mole are similar in appearance, but Townsend’s mole is larger.
The body is cylindrical with short, soft gray fur of constant length (rather than the typical underfur with longer guard hairs found in other mammals). The fur can bend easily in any direction, enabling the mole to back up in tight tunnels. The autumn moult in October gives the coat a darker grey colour than the lighter grey of the spring moult in April (Banfield 1974).
The snout and feet are pink with little fur. The nostrils are located dorsally on the naked snout. The dental formula is: 3/3 1/1 4/4 3/3. The front limbs are broad, rotated ventrally and shovel-like with long strong claws adapted for digging tunnels in soil. The hind feet are small with short claws. The eyes are small, hidden by fur and usually concealed by hairless eyelids (Banfield 1974). The vestigial eyes of Townsend’s mole can detect light intensity but no images.
Moles are rarely seen but are evident from molehills produced when moles excavate underground tunnel systems.
Nationally significant populations
The population around Huntingdon-Abbotsford, BC, is the only one in Canada.
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