54.

Short-faced Mole

Scaptochirus moschatus

French: Taupe de Mongolie / German: Kurzgesichtmaulwurf / Spanish: Topo de cara corta

Taxonomy. Scaptochirus moschatus Milne- Edwards, 1867,

“En Mongolie.” Restricted by O. Thomas in 1910 to “Swanhwafu, 100 mi [= 161 km] NW of Peking, China.” The only extant species in the genus Scaptochirus. Molecular data suggest the sister relationships with the genus Ewroscaptor. Monotypic.

Distribution. NE & C China (Inner Mongolia [= Nei Mongol], Heilongjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Liaoning, Henan, Shandong, and Jiangsu); probably Mongolia.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 100-126 mm, tail 14-23 mm, hindfoot 15-19 mm. The Shortfaced Mole is medium-sized. Pelageis clear grayish brown, paler around mouth and on forearms. Tail is slender, slightly shorter than hindfeet, and sparsely covered with hairs and small tuft at tip. Skull is large, and rostrum is short and broad. Molars are large, with high crown. Dental formula is I 3/3, C 1/1,P 3/3, M 3/3 (x2) = 40. Karyotype is 2n = 48.

Habitat. Cold and arid environments, such as sandy grasslands and meadows, loess regions, and borders of deserts (e.g. Ordos Desert).

Food and Feeding. Short-faced Moles eat earthworms, larvae of beetles, and other arthropods.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Shortfaced Mole is fossorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Allen (1938), Hutterer (2005a), Kawada, Harada et al. (2002), Kuroda (1939b), Shinohara et al. (2008), Thomas (1910).