FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



haired; snout elongated, with naked muzzle; head mole-like; 

 forefeet lacking extreme development of the other Moles, 

 palms longer than broad; toes not webbed; fur short, fine, with 

 iridescent sheen. 



Color. — Sexes alike in color. 



Upperparts dark gray to blackish, with purple or greenish 

 iridescence in fresh specimens; underparts similar to upper- 

 parts, sometimes lighter in tone. 



Measurements. — Total length, males, 4.5 inches, females, 

 4.6; tail vertebras, males, 1.5 inches, females, 1.5; hind foot, 

 males and females, .68 inch. 



Geographical Distribution. — British Columbia, Washing- 

 ton, Oregon and California. 



Food. — Insectivorous. 



Species and Subspecies of the Genus Neiirotrichus. 



Gibbs Shrew Mole. — Neiirotrichus gihhsii gihhsii (Baird). 

 As just described. Found in "Extreme southwestern 

 British Columbia, western Washington and Oregon west of 

 the Cascade Mountains, south in the coast region to Eureka, 

 Humboldt County, Cal., and in the interior, west of the 

 Sierra Nevada, to South Yolla Bolly Mountain, Cal." 

 (Jackson.) 

 Southern Shrew Mole ; Hyacinthine Shrew Mole. — Neiirotri- 

 chus gihhsii hyacinthinus Bangs. 

 Larger and usually darker colored than typical gihhsii. 

 Total length, males, 4.8 inches. Found in "Coast region 

 of California from Cuddeback, Humboldt County, south to 

 Fremont Peak, Monterey County." (Jackson) 



******* 

 The Shrew Mole is the smallest of the American Moles and 

 has a less-highly specialized forefoot. It is found in a rather 

 restricted zone along the northwest coastal strip and is local in 

 distribution. I have trapped specimens on dry hillsides near 

 Portland, Oregon, in the same general region with Scapanus 

 townsendi, the large Western Mole, but took only two over a 

 long period. Jackson states that the Shrew Mole "prefers 

 a damp habitat and is seldom found far from swamps, marshes, 

 or streams." It makes a small burrow, but seems to spend 

 some time on the surface of the ground. Its more generalized 

 structure would indicate that this species is not such a sub- 

 terranean creature as the larger Moles. But little is known 

 of the life-history of the genus Neurotrichus. 



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