42 MAMMALS OF THE PACIFIC WORLD 



and the snout long. The first upper incisor is not much larger 

 than the others and is simple in contrast to that of shrews. 

 In the skull the cheek arch, although slender, is complete. 



The Hairy-tailed Shrew Moles (Urotrichus, Dymecodon) 

 occur in Japan but in none of the other islands included in 

 this discussion; related moles are found in western United 

 States. They are small; the body is a little larger than that 

 of a mouse, with the tail slightly shorter than the body. Their 

 front feet are not broadened noticeably, but the claws are long. 

 They emerge from the ground more frequently than other 

 moles and dig by scratching out the soil from holes more like 

 rodents or dogs. 



True Moles (Mogera) of Japan and Formosa are closely al- 

 lied to those found in China and southern Asia. They resemble 

 the common moles of the United States and Europe in their 

 general torpedo-like shape and short tail, hardly longer than 

 the hind foot. The front feet are broad and almost round 

 in shape; there are no external ears, and the minute eyes are 

 hidden by the fur. These moles are blackish in color, like most 

 species, and are a little less than six inches in total length, with 

 the tail about one inch, excluding the hairs. Other kinds of moles 

 are found in the Malay Peninsula, but they do not reach the 

 islands. 



Moles may be said to swim through the ground, using a 

 breast stroke, in their search for earthworms, snails, and 

 grubs, and they constantly use the tough-skinned, elongate 

 snout to pry the soil apart. For this method of burrowing they 

 require damp, fairly soft earth and thus are absent from areas 

 where the soil is rocky, dry, or barren. They are very active, 

 especially after a rain, and have been reported to make a run 

 almost a hundred yards long in a single night. Considering 

 the size of the mole, a man would have to dig a tunnel several 

 miles long in the same length of time in order to equal the work 

 of this mammal. Ridges mark the course of the superficial 

 runs, the earth having been pushed up and to each side, but 



