Talpa (genus)

European Mole ( Talpa europaea)

The Eurasian moles ( Talpa ) are a mammal genus from the family of moles ( Talpidae ). The genus includes nine living in Europe and in the northern and western Asia species, of which the European mole is probably the best known.

Features

The Eurasian moles have the " mole typical" Build the authentics moles and differ from the other genera of this tribe primarily in the number and structure of the teeth. Your body is cylindrical, the forelimbs are reshuffled almost hairless and grave tools that end in powerful claws. The eyes are very small and hidden in the fur, outer ear cups are not available. The snout is pointed, and just like the short tail sparsely hairy. The dense coat color is usually gray, but the color can vary from white to gray black. These animals reach head fuselage lengths 9-18 cm, a tail length of 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters and a weight of 65 to 120 grams.

Distribution and habitat

Eurasian moles are in many parts of Europe as well as in northern and western Asia ( to Mongolia or northern Iran) spread.

Way of life

Eurasian Moles spend almost their entire lives in self-dug, underground tunnel systems, which may extend up to 1 meter depth. These programs usually have a central nest, two circular, interconnected passages and individual leading to adjacent areas tunnel. They are both the day and active at night and live solitary outside the breeding season.

Food

The diet consists mainly of insects and earthworms, which are partly stored in the building. Sometimes they also take small vertebrates such as snakes, lizards, mice and small birds to him. Because of their high metabolic rate, they must eat almost constantly, according to reports they can die without food intake after 10 to 12 hours.

Reproduction

Usually the female gives birth once a year ( in spring ) after a roughly 28 - day gestation, two to seven (usually three or four) pups. After about a month, the young leave the nest the mother, but keep some time in their close up. Sexual maturity does not occur until the second half year of life.

System

The genus of the Eurasian moles includes nine types:

• The European mole ( Talpa europaea), comes from central Europe to central Russia in (in the region of the rivers Ob and Irtysh ).
• The Siberian or Altai mole ( T. altaica) lives in the taiga of Siberia between the Ob and Lena and northern Mongolia.
• The blind mole ( T. caeca ) occurs in southern and south-eastern Europe and possibly in Asia Minor.
• The Caucasian mole ( T. caucasica ) living north of the Caucasus in the region.
• The Levantine or Black Sea mole ( T. Levantis ) inhabited Bulgaria and parts of Turkey and the Caucasus region.
• The Iberian mole ( T. occidentalis ) lives on the Iberian Peninsula.
• The Roman mole ( T. romana ) arrives in Italy and southeast France, and possibly before, Sicily.
• The Balkan mole ( T. Stankovici ) lives in the south of the Balkan Peninsula (Greece, Macedonia and Albania).
• The Father David Mole ( T. davidiana ) inhabits a small area in the south-eastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. This type also includes the formerly independent classified as " endangered " according to IUCN Persian mole.

Until recently, also living in East and Southeast Asia genera of South East Asian moles of East Asian moles ( Mogera ), the white-tailed moles ( Parascaptor ) and the Short Facial Moles ( Scaptochirus ) were ( Euroscaptor ), incorporated in this genus. Differences in construction and number of teeth led to the separation of these species from the Eurasian moles.