- American shrew-mole
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American shrew-mole[1] 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Soricomorpha Family: Talpidae Subfamily: Talpinae Tribe: Neurotrichini Genus: Neurotrichus Species: N. gibbsii Binomial name Neurotrichus gibbsii
(Baird, 1858)
American Shrew Mole range The American shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii) is the smallest North American mole. It is the only living member of the genus Neurotrichus and the tribe Neurotrichini. It is also known as Gibb's shrew mole, and least shrew mole.[3] It is not closely related to the Asian shrew moles (Uropsilus and Urotrichini).
It is found in damp forested or bushy areas with deep loose soils in the northwestern United States and southwestern British Columbia.
It has dark grey fur, a long flattened snout and has a short but thick bristled tail. It is about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in length including a 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long tail and weighs about 10 grams (0.35 oz). Its front paws are smaller and do not face outwards from the body as in more fossorial moles, and so are more similar to those of shrews. It has 36 teeth.
This mole is often active above ground, foraging in leaf litter for earthworms, insects, snails and slugs. It is able to climb bushes. Predators include owls, hawks and mustelids.
Females have litters with 1 to 4 young.
References
- ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). Wilson, Don E., and Reeder, DeeAnn M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols. (2142 pp.). pp. 303-304. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ Hammerson, G. (2008). "Neurotrichus gibbsii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/41468. Retrieved 09 February 2010.
- ^ http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=220
