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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

List Of Talpids

Talpidae is one of the four families of small mammals in the order Eulipotyphla. A member of this family is called a talpid and the family includes moles, shrew moles, and desmans. Talpids are found in North America, Europe, and Asia, primarily in forests, shrublands, grasslands, and wetlands, though some species can also be found in deserts or coastal areas. They range in size from the Chinese shrew mole, at 6 cm (2 in) plus a 5 cm (2 in) tail, to the Russian desman, at 22 cm (9 in) plus a 22 cm (9 in) tail. Talpids primarily eat earthworms, insects, and other invertebrates, but some also consume fish, mollusks, amphibians, crustaceans, plants, and fungi. No talpids have population estimates, but the Pyrenean desman and Echigo mole are categorized as endangered species, while the Russian desman is categorized as critically endangered.

The forty-five extant species of Talpidae are divided into three subfamilies: Scalopinae, containing seven mole species in five genera, Talpinae, containing thirty-three mole, shrew mole, and desman species in eleven genera, and Uropsilinae, containing four shrew mole species in a single genus. A few extinct prehistoric Talpidae species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.

Conventions

IUCN Red List categories
Conservation status
 EX Extinct (0 species)
 EW Extinct in the wild (0 species)
 CR Critically Endangered (1 species)
 EN Endangered (2 species)
 VU Vulnerable (1 species)
 NT Near threatened (1 species)
 LC Least concern (34 species)
Other categories
 DD Data deficient (5 species)
 NE Not evaluated (0 species)

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the talpid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Classification

The family Talpidae consists of three subfamilies: Scalopinae, containing seven mole species in five genera, Talpinae, containing thirty-three mole, shrew mole, and desman species in eleven genera, and Uropsilinae, containing four shrew mole species in a single genus.

Family Talpidae

Talpidae  

Talpids

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.

Subfamily Scalopinae

Genus CondyluraIlliger, 1811 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Star-nosed mole

Black mole

C. cristata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Eastern United States and Canada
Map of range
Size: 10–13 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 5–9 cm (2–4 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and inland wetlands

Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, as well as other invertebrates, crustaceans, mollusks and small fish
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Genus ParascalopsTrue, 1894 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Hairy-tailed mole

Black mole

P. breweri
(Bachman, 1842)
Eastern United States and Canada
Map of range
Size: 13–18 cm (5–7 in) long, plus 3 cm (1 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Insects, as well as other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Genus ScalopusGeoffroy, 1803 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Eastern mole

Black and pink mole

S. aquaticus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Four subspecies
  • S. a. anastasae (Anastasia Island mole)
  • S. a. aquaticus (Eastern mole)
  • S. a. bassi (Englewood mole)
  • S. a. texanus (Presidia mole)
Eastern and central North America
Map of range
Size: 14–19 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Insects and earthworms, as well as plants
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Genus ScapanulusThomas, 1912 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Gansu mole


S. oweni
Thomas, 1912
Central China
Map of range
Size: 9–11 cm (4 in) long, plus 3–4 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Genus ScapanusPomel, 1848 – three species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Coast mole

Black mole

S. orarius
(True, 1896)

Two subspecies
  • S. o. orarius
  • S. o. schefferi (Scheffer's coast mole)
Western United States and Canada
Map of range
Size: 13–19 cm (5–7 in) long, plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, grassland, and coastal marine

Diet: Earthworms, as well as other invertebrates, mollusks, plants, and fungi
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Northern broad-footed mole

Black mole

S. latimanus
(Bachman, 1842)

Six subspecies
Western United States and Mexico
Map of range
Size: 11–19 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 2–6 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Grassland, savanna, and forest

Diet: Earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Townsend's mole

Brown mole

S. townsendii
(Bachman, 1839)
Western United States and Canada
Map of range
Size: 11–19 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 2–6 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Earthworms, as well as other invertebrates and plants
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Subfamily Talpinae

Genus DesmanaGüldenstädt, 1777 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Russian desman

Brown mole

D. moschata
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Western and central Asia
Map of range
Size: 18–22 cm (7–9 in) long, plus 17–22 cm (7–9 in) tail

Habitat: Inland wetlands

Diet: Fish, mollusks, amphibians, crustaceans, and insects
 CR 


Unknown Population declining

Genus DymecodonTrue, 1886 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
True's shrew mole

Brown mole

D. pilirostris
(True, 1886)
Japan
Map of range
Size: 6–11 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Worms, insects, and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Genus EuroscaptorMiller, 1940 – seven species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Greater Chinese mole

Drawing of brown mole

E. grandis
Miller, 1940
Southern China
Map of range
Size: About 15 cm (6 in) long, plus 10 cm (4 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Himalayan mole


E. micrura
(Hodgson, 1841)
Southern Asia
Map of range
Size: 12–14 cm (5–6 in) long, plus 5–9 cm (2–4 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Japanese mountain mole

Brown mole

E. mizura
(Günther, 1880)
Japan
Map of range
Size: About 10 cm (4 in) long, plus 2 cm (1 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population declining

Kloss's mole

Brown mole

E. klossi
(Thomas, 1929)
Southeastern Asia
Map of range
Size: 12–14 cm (5–6 in) long, plus 11–17 cm (4–7 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Long-nosed mole


E. longirostris
(A. Milne-Edwards, 1870)
Southeastern China
Map of range
Size: 9–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Small-toothed mole


E. parvidens
Miller, 1940
Southeastern Asia
Map of range
Size: About 14 cm (6 in) long, plus 6 cm (2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 DD 


Unknown Unknown

Vietnamese mole


E. subanura
Kawada, Son, & Can, 2012
Northern Vietnam
Map of range
Size: 7–9 cm (3–4 in) long, plus 4–6 cm (2–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Insects and other invertebrates
 DD 


Unknown Population steady

Genus GalemysKaup, 1829 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Pyrenean desman

Black mole

G. pyrenaicus
(Geoffroy, 1811)

Two subspecies
  • G. p. pyrenaicus
  • G. p. rufulus
Iberian Peninsula
Map of range
Size: 11–16 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 12–16 cm (5–6 in) tail

Habitat: Inland wetlands

Diet: Insects and crustaceans
 EN 


Unknown Population declining

Genus MogeraPomel, 1848 – seven species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Echigo mole

Brown mole

M. etigo
Yoshiyuki & Imaizumi, 1991
Central Japan
Map of range
Size: 15–18 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 2–3 cm (1 in) tail

Habitat: Grassland

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 EN 


Unknown Population declining

Insular mole


M. insularis
Swinhoe, 1863

Three subspecies
Eastern China, Hainan Island, and Taiwan
Map of range
Size: 8–14 cm (3–6 in) long, plus 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Japanese mole

Brown mole

M. wogura
(Temminck, 1842)
Southern Japan
Map of range
Size: 12–18 cm (5–7 in) long, plus 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) tail

Habitat: Grassland, shrubland, and forest

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Sado mole

Brown and black mole

M. tokudae
Kuroda, 1940
Sado Island, Japan
Map of range
Size: 13–17 cm (5–7 in) long, plus 2–3 cm (1 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 NT 


Unknown Population declining

Senkaku mole


M. uchidai
Abe, Shiraishi, & Arai, 1991
Senkaku Islands
Map of range
Size: About 13 cm (5 in) long, plus 2 cm (1 in) tail

Habitat: Grassland

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 VU 


Unknown Unknown

Small Japanese mole

Brown mole

M. imaizumii
Kuroda, 1957
Japan
Map of range
Size: 10–16 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Ussuri mole

Brown mole

M. robusta
Nehring, 1891
Eastern Asia
Map of range
Size: 14–20 cm (6–8 in) long, plus about 2 cm (1 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Earthworms, caterpillars and insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Genus NeurotrichusGünther, 1880 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
American shrew mole

Black mole

N. gibbsii
(Baird, 1858)
Western North America
Map of range
Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 3–5 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, grassland, and inland wetlands

Diet: Earthworms, insects, other invertebrates, fungi, and seeds
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Genus ParascaptorGill, 1875 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
White-tailed mole

Black mole

P. leucura
(Blyth, 1850)
Eastern Asia
Map of range
Size: 11–12 cm (4–5 in) long, plus 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Genus ScaptochirusH. Milne-Edwards, 1867 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Short-faced mole


S. moschatus
H. Milne-Edwards, 1867
Northern China
Map of range
Size: About 14 cm (6 in) long, plus 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) tail

Habitat: Desert and grassland

Diet: Arthropod larvae
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Genus ScaptonyxH. Milne-Edwards, 1872 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Long-tailed mole

Drawing of black mole

S. fusicaudus
H. Milne-Edwards, 1872
Eastern Asia
Map of range
Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 4–6 cm (2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Likely earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Genus TalpaLinnaeus, 1758 – eleven species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Altai mole

Brown mole

T. altaica
Nikolsky, 1833
Northern Asia
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Earthworms, as well as insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Balkan mole


T. stankovici
Martino & Martino, 1931
Balkans in Europe
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Coastal marine

Diet: Worms and insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Blind mole

Brown mole

T. caeca
Savi, 1822
Southern Europe
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Caucasian mole

Black mole

T. caucasica
Satunin, 1908
Caucasus Mountains in Russia and Georgia
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Earthworms, as well as insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

European mole

Black mole

T. europaea
Linnaeus, 1758
Europe and western Asia
Map of range
Size: 11–16 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 2–4 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Earthworms and insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Levant mole


T. levantis
Thomas, 1906
Caucasus and Northern Turkey
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Ognev's mole


T. ognevi
Stroganov, 1948
Georgia and northeastern Turkey
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Worms and insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Père David's mole


T. davidiana
(H. Milne-Edwards, 1884)
Turkey and northwestern Iran
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Grassland

Diet: Worms and insects
 DD 


Unknown Unknown

Roman mole

Black mole

T. romana
Thomas, 1902
Southern Italy
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Earthworms
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Spanish mole

Black mole

T. occidentalis
A. Cabrera, 1907
Spain and Portugal
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Earthworms and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Talysch mole


T. talyschensis
Vereshchagin, 1945
Southern Azerbaijan and northern Iran
Map of range
Size: 9–18 cm (4–7 in) long, plus 1–4 cm (0.4–1.6 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and shrubland

Diet: Worms and insects
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Genus UrotrichusTemminck, 1841 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Japanese shrew mole

Black mole

U. talpoides
Temminck, 1841
Japan
Map of range
Size: 6–11 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 2–5 cm (1–2 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Insects, spiders, worms, and other invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Population steady

Subfamily Uropsilinae

Genus UropsilusA. Milne-Edwards, 1871 – four species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Anderson's shrew mole


U. andersoni
(Thomas, 1911)
Central China
Map of range
Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail

Habitat: Unknown

Diet: Invertebrates
 DD 


Unknown Unknown

Chinese shrew mole


U. soricipes
A. Milne-Edwards, 1871
Central China
Map of range
Size: 6–8 cm (2–3 in) long, plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail

Habitat: Forest

Diet: Invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Gracile shrew mole


U. gracilis
(Thomas, 1911)
Southern China and northern Myanmar
Map of range
Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland

Diet: Invertebrates
 LC 


Unknown Unknown

Inquisitive shrew mole


U. investigator
(Thomas, 1922)
Southern China
Map of range
Size: 6–9 cm (2–4 in) long, plus 5–8 cm (2–3 in) tail

Habitat: Forest and grassland

Diet: Invertebrates
 DD 


Unknown Unknown