La Touche’s Mole

Common Name: La Touche’s Mole
Scientific Name: Scaptochirus la touchei

Habitat: La Touche’s Mole is primarily found in the mountainous regions of central China’s western provinces, particularly in areas rich with moist, loose soil. Its preference for subalpine forests and grasslands highlights its adaptability to various environmental conditions. This species is often located in humid climates that provide ample underground burrowing opportunities.

Physical Characteristics: La Touche’s Mole typically measures around 20 to 25 cm in length, featuring a compact and cylindrical body. Its fur is soft and dense, exhibiting a distinctive dark brown to grayish coloration which aids in camouflage. Characteristic of this species are its large, spade-like forelimbs, which are well-adapted for digging. Its small, beady eyes and reduced vision are also interesting features, evolved to suit its subterranean lifestyle.

Behavior: Known for its secretive and solitary nature, La Touche’s Mole spends most of its life underground, navigating its extensive burrow systems. It is primarily nocturnal, emerging at night to forage for food. Its strong digging abilities are noteworthy, allowing it to create complex tunnels that can span several meters. When threatened, it may exhibit defensive behaviors, including curling into a ball to protect itself from predators.

Diet: The diet of La Touche’s Mole consists mainly of earthworms, insects, and other small invertebrates found in the soil. It also consumes plant roots and tubers occasionally, showcasing its omnivorous feeding habits. This preference for a wide variety of underground organisms plays a significant role in soil aeration and nutrient cycling within its habitat.

Reproduction: Breeding typically occurs in the spring, with females usually giving birth to a litter of two to five offspring after a gestation period of about four weeks. The young are born blind and hairless, relying heavily on their mother for nourishment and protection. As they grow, they begin to develop their own burrowing skills and are weaned by the age of two months, becoming independent shortly thereafter.

Conservation Status: La Touche’s Mole is currently classified as Vulnerable due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion and deforestation. Conservation efforts are crucial to preserve its natural habitat and ensure the survival of this unique species in the wild.

Interesting Facts: La Touche’s Mole was named after the French naturalist A. La Touche, who contributed significantly to the understanding of this species. Additionally, this mole is known for its remarkable digging speed; it can tunnel through soil at astonishing rates, often creating new burrows within mere minutes.

Role in Ecosystem: La Touche’s Mole plays an essential role in its ecosystem, acting as a natural tiller of the soil. By aerating the earth through their burrowing activities, they enhance soil fertility and promote plant growth. Furthermore, they serve as prey for larger predators, contributing to the biological diversity of their mountainous habitats.