MAMMALS OF MARYLAND* 



39 



4 ; Brookland, 1 ; Highland, 1 ; Landover, 2 ; Laurel, 13 ; Mount Rainier, 

 1 ; Patuxent Research Center, 1. District of Columbia: 83. 



Other records and reports. — Anne Arundel County: Severna Park 

 (Cooper, 1953, p. 79). Baltimore County: Lake Roland (Bures, 1948, 

 p. 61); Patapsco State Park (Hampe, 1939, p. 5). Montgomery 

 County: Forest Glen (Bailey, 1896, p. 100) . 



STAR-NOSED MOLE 



Condylura cristata cristata (Linnaeus) 



(Sorex) cristatus Linnaeus, Syst. nat., ed. 10, 1 : 53, 1758. 

 Type locality. — Eastern Pennsylvania. 



General distribution. — Southeastern Canada, and northeastern United States, 

 south to central Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, eastern West Virginia, 

 and northern Virginia. 



Distribution in Maryland. — Locally abundant in all sections of the 

 State although apparently rare or absent in some areas with suitable 

 habitat. 



Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 3/3, = 44; body 

 form mole-like, but more slender; forefeet broad and enlarged for 

 digging, but not to the same extent as in Scalopus; pelage black in 

 coloration, somewhat harsher in texture than that of Scalopus; tail 

 long, and at certain times of the year enlarged. The most distinctive 

 feature of this mole is the snout, which is fringed with 22 pink pro- 

 jections, or tentacles, and is responsible for the popular name of the 

 animal. 



Measurements. — Two adults from the District of Columbia measure 

 as follows: Total length 183, 185; tail vertebrae 65, 66; hind foot 28, 

 28; greatest length of skull 33.9, 33.4; mastoidal breadth 12.8, 12.8; 

 interorbital breadth 6.8, 6.7; maxillary toothrow 6.6, 6.3. 



Habitat and habits. — The star-nosed mole prefers damp habitat in 

 meadows, fields, woods, or swamps, but is sometimes taken in the leaf 

 mold of dense forests, or in relatively dry fields in which there are 

 a few damp spots from which its tunnels radiate. Occasionally it is 

 found at a considerable distance from any water. One specimen was 

 captured in June 1958 in the lower Eastern Shore section near Watts- 

 ville, Accomack County, Va., a few miles from the Maryland boundary. 

 It was taken in a museum special mouse trap set in a surface runway 

 in dry meadow at least a fourth of a mile from the nearest water. 

 Generally, however, the star-nosed mole will be encountered in very 

 wet situations, and its tunnels frequently lead directly into a stream 

 or pool. This animal is an efficient swimmer, using its broad forefeet 

 as oars and its tail as a scull. 



