#003 MUST-SEE CREEPIEST ANIMAL IN THE WORLD- COMPLETE FACTS!

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION 

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mammalia 

ORDER: Eulipotyphla

FAMILY: Talpidae

SUB-FAMILY: Scalopinae

TRIBE: Condylurini

GENUS: Condylura

SPECIES: C. Cristata

BINOMIAL NAME: Condylura Cristata

The Star-nosed mole is the only member of the tribe 'Condylurini' and the genus 'Condylura'.

The small mole is found in wet low areas of Eastern Canada and the Northeastern United States.

Adults are about 15-20cm in length and they weight approximately about 55grams; they have 44 teeth and a nose of about 1cm with 22 pink-fleshy appendages that all looks like a star.

The star-nosed mole got its name from the shape of its appendages known as 'Eimer's Organs' which is extremely sensitive, with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors; with which it feels its way  around and also detect food; and through which they are easily identified.

FEATURES 

The star-nosed mole is covered in thick, blackish-brown, water-repellent fur; has a large scaled feet and a long, thick tail (function as a fat storage reserve for the spring breeding season).

Its most distinctive feature is a circle of 22 mobile, pink-fleshy tentacles at the end of its snout, which are used to identify food by touch, such as worms, insects, mollusks, crustaceans, small invertebrates, small amphibians and small fishes which this creature feeds on.

Its 22 star-like receptors known as the Eimer's organs were first described in the European mole in 1871 by German zoologist, Theodor Eimer. There are few mole species also which  possess Eimer's organs, but they are not as numerous as in the star-nosed mole. 

The star-nosed mole is precisely functionally blind, the snout was long suspected to be used to detect electrical activity in prey animals, though little, if any, empirical support has been found for this hypothesis.

STUDY

The nasal star and dentition of this species appear to be primarily adapted to exploit extremely small prey. A report in the journal Nature gives this animal the title of fastest-eating mammal, taking as short as 120 milliseconds to identify and consume its prey. Its brain decides in approximately 8 milliseconds if a prey is edible or not. This speed is at the limit of the speed of neurons. They also are able to smell underwater which is accomplished with the help of exhaling air bubbles onto objects or scent trails and then inhaling the bubbles to carry scents back through their nose.

ECOLOGY AND TRAITS

Although, they are found in wet lowland areas, but research shows they also found in dry meadows, farther away from water. They have been found in the Great Smokey Mountains as high as up to 1,676 meters. Meanwhile, the star-nosed mole does prefer wet, poorly drained areas and marshes; and besides, it is a good swimmer and can as well forage along the bottoms of streams and ponds. It often digs shallow surface tunnels for foraging which exit underwater. It is active day and night and remains more active in winter, when it has been observed tunneling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams.

The small animal mates in late winter or early spring, and the female has one litter of typically 4-5 young in late spring or early summer. Moreso, the females are known to have a second litter, provided that their first littrr is unsuccessful. 

At birth, each offspring is about 5 cm (2 in) long, hairless, and weighs about 1.5 g. Their eyes, ears, and star are all sealed, and then later appears opening and functioning about 14 days after the birth. They become independent after about 30 days, and then fully mature after 10 months. 

THREATS

The star-nosed mole's predators or threats include the red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, barn owl, screech owl, foxes, weasels, minks, various skunks and mustelids, and large fish such as the northern pike, and lastly not to forget domestic cats.

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