| Parascalops breweri (Bachman) |
Hairy-tailed Mole
Don Linzey & Christy Brecht
Wytheville Community College
Wytheville, Virginia 24382
- Adult total length: 5 1/2 - 7 in. (135 - 175 mm)
- Tail: 1 - 1 1/2 in. (25 - 35 mm)
- Hind foot: 3/4 in. (17 - 22 mm)
- Weight: 1 1/5 - 2 1/4 oz. (40 - 65 g)
- Physical Characteristics:
Moles have soft, silky, dense fur that lies equally well when brushed either forward or backward,
an adaptation to facilitate movement in either direction in the underground burrow.
The short front limbs possess feet that are greatly enlarged for digging.
The forefeet are at least as broad as they are long, and the palms face outward.
The claws on the forefeet are broad and flat, while those of the hind feet are relatively short and weak.
The tiny, degenerate eyes are concealed in the fur and are covered by fused eyelids.
External ears are absent. The robust hairy-tailed mole has shiny, black fur
and a short, hairy tail. The nostrils are lateral and crescent-shaped. It is the smallest of the park's moles.
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left lateral view of
skull and mandible
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dorsal view of skull
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ventral view of skull
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Photographs
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Parascalops breweri
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Phylogeny
Geographic distribution
The hairy-tailed mole ranges from southern Quebec and Ontario south through the
New England states to central Ohio, eastern Tennessee, and western North Carolina.
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Range Maps
| North America |
Great Smokies |
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park:
The hairy-tailed mole has been found at elevations ranging from
1,480 feet (park headquarters) to 6,400 feet (Clingmans Dome).
- Blount Co.:
Cades Cove (1,750 feet), Tremont (2,400 feet), Bote Mountain
Road (3,600 feet), Gregory's Bald (4,900 feet)
- Cocke Co.: Cosby (2,600 feet)
- Sevier Co.:
Park headquarters (1,480 feet); The Sinks (1,565 feet); Sugarlands (2,000 feet);
Elkmont (2,200 - 2,500 feet); Husky Gap Trail (2,500 feet); Buck Fork (2,000 feet);
Rainbow Falls Trail (3,000 feet); Chapman Prong (3,200 feet); Alum Cave Trail (4,300 feet);
Newfound Gap Road (4,500 feet); Blanket Mountain; Miry Ridge Trail (5,000 feet);
Mount Kephart (5,200 feet).
- State (Tenn. - N.C.) line:
Gregory Bald (4,900 feet); Tricorner Knob; Spence Field (5,000 feet); Newfound Gap (5,050 feet);
between Newfound Gap and Indian Gap; Mount Buckley (6,250 feet).
- Swain Co.:
Mount Collins (5,500 - 5,800 feet); Clingmans Dome (6,400 feet).
Habitat
Moles are highly specialized for subterranean life. The hairy-tailed mole prefers
well-drained areas with sandy loam soil and a good cover of vegetation. Specimens
collected along Chapman Prong and Buck Fork under damp rocks in rhododendron
thickets represented the first record of this species in Tennessee
(Komarek and Komarek, 1938).
Natural History
- Reproduction
Mating usually occurs in late March or early April with a litter of four or five
young being born after a gestation of approximately 4 to 6 weeks
(Hallett, 1999). Weaning occurs at about 3 to 4 weeks of age.
- Longevity
The maximum life span is about 4 years.
- Terrestrial Ecology
Hairy-tailed moles may be active at any hour and during all seasons. Both surface
tunnels and deep tunnels are constructed. Temporary, or feeding, tunnels are
constructed barely beneath the surface but at a uniform depth. These tunnels are
built by the mole during its search for food. The deeper tunnels are located from
25 to 45 cm beneath the surface. These lower tunnels constitute the mole's living
quarters and serve as a retreat during dry or cold weather. A large chamber
in the deeper runways serves as a retreat and as a nest site for the young.
Foods include earthworms and various insects, especially beetles.
- Predators and Defense
Predators include foxes, owls, and snakes. An individual found dead on the road
between Newfound Gap and Indian Gap had apparently been killed by a fox, since
fox scats were found beside the animal (Pfitzer, 1950).
- Parasites
None recorded from the park.
Conservation Biology
- Special Protection Status
- Rangewide:
None
- In Park:
All plants and animals are protected within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Collection requires a permit which is usually granted only for
research or educational purposes.
Links to Other Sites
Acknowledgements
- Text
- Photographs
- Map development
- Web page design & coding
- Casandra Lloyd, University of Georgia, Athens
- John Pickering, University of Georgia, Athens
References
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Hallett, J.G. 1999. Hairy-tailed mole. Pages 62-63. In: Wilson, D.E. and S.
Ruff (editors). The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals.
Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D. C.
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Komarek, E. V. and R. Komarek. 1938. Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Science 5(6):137-62.
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Linzey, D. W. 1995a.
Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, Inc., Blacksburg, Virginia.
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Linzey, D. W. 1995b.
Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park-1995 Update.
Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 111(1):1-81.
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Pfitzer, D.W. 1950. Report on mammals collected or observed, June-October,
1950. (Typewritten copy in files of Great Smoky Mountains National Park).
Last modified: 8 April, 2002
