Shrew Mole

Shrew Mole (Scalops), a genus of insectivorous mammals of the family Talpidae, very closely allied to the Moles (see MOLE). The tail is short and naked; the muzzle is long and slender, the nostrils looking forwards and upwards on the oblique slope at the end of the snout; the eyes are very small and are hidden in the fur. The teeth are peculiar in form; their number is represented by the formula $i.\; \backslash frac\{3\}\{4\},\; c.\; \backslash frac\{1\}\{4\},\; p.\; \backslash frac\{3\}\{4\},\; m.\; \backslash frac\{3\}\{4\}$. The feet resemble those of the common mole, but the toes of the hind-feet are webbed. All the species are American. The Common Shrew Mole, or simply Mole (S. aquaticus), is found everywhere in the United States east of the Mississippi. The Prairie Mole or Silvery Shrew Mole (S. argentatus), about 7 inches long, is found on the western prairies as far eastwards as Ohio and Michigan. The Texan Shrew Mole (S. latimanus), larger in size and possessing broader fore-feet than any other species, is found in Texas and Mexico. Two other shrew moles have been placed in a separate genus: one, Brewer's Shrew Mole (Scapanus breweri), closely resembling the common mole externally, but agreeing in its dentition and habits with the star-nosed mole, inhabits the eastern United States; the other, the Oregon Shrew Mole (Scapanus townsendii), is found plentifully on the banks of rivers on the Pacific coast.