Coast Mole

Fascinating facts about the Coast Mole

• Its range pushes far inland, with isolated populations reaching west-central Idaho, far beyond its coastal stronghold. The species normally occupies a disjunct strip from the western end of British Columbia through Washington, Oregon and coastal northern California. That Idaho outpost represents the most extreme divergence recorded for the coast mole, marking the furthest known inland extension of its distribution.
• A tiny, densely innervated patch called Eimer's organ sits in its nose, letting the mole feel prey in total darkness. Coast moles primarily use their noses for sensing their surroundings underground, and this organ provides the tactile discrimination needed where vision is useless. Moles and monotremes appear to have developed this as a convergent structure, using common components of mammalian skin to maximise tactile sensitivity.
• Air supply in its tunnels may be short on oxygen but enriched with carbon dioxide from respiration, creating a challenging environment for gas exchange. One adaptation to these conditions is an increased blood volume for oxygen storage, while another is a modified hemoglobin that binds chloride ions strongly and remains effective at the relatively cold tunnel temperatures.
• When earthworm numbers shift, the mole instantly ramps up its digging, hunting more aggressively in the moist soil. It increases excavation activity as soon as it senses changing earthworm densities, a behaviour noted in its foraging strategy. The mole's diet is dominated by earthworms, supplemented by slugs, eggs and insects found in moderately moist soils. This response helps it exploit periods of high prey availability.
• Moles in the same area do not dig in sync; each individual's activity pattern is out of phase with its neighbours. Although they are primarily nocturnal, they do not limit their work to a particular portion of the night, resulting in overlapping but unsynchronised foraging bouts. Their largely solitary lifestyle means tunnel systems are used independently, and studies have shown an individual's movements are asynchronous to nearby conspecifics.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Coast Mole

In the damp, moss-shrouded forests of the Pacific coast, the coast mole moves with purpose, its powerful front legs and long, hairless snout propelling it through the dense underbrush with a quiet, unassuming determination. As it tunnels and burrows, it creates a hidden network of pathways and dens, a secret world that exists just beneath the feet of the forest's other inhabitants. With its sleek, dark fur and nimble movements, the coast mole is a master of this shadowy realm, a small but remarkable creature that thrives in the misty, primeval landscapes of its native habitat.

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