American Shrewmole
Neurotrichus gibbsii
Unlike other moles, the American Shrewmole lacks clasping front digging claws, instead using its paws to climb low bushes and swim.
- Scientific name
- Neurotrichus gibbsii
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Eulipotyphla › Talpidae › Neurotrichus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Damp, deciduous or coniferous forests with deep, loose soil and thick leaf litter.
- Diet
- Earthworms, insects, insect larvae, spiders, centipedes, and occasionally seeds.
- Range
- United States (Pacific Northwest), Canada (British Columbia)
- Size
- Total length of 10 to 12 cm (including tail); weighs about 10 grams.
- Lifespan
- Typically 1 to 2 years in the wild.
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation from urban development, logging, and predation by domestic cats.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and non-aggressive. If spotted shuffling through leaf litter, observe quietly from a short distance. Do not attempt to handle, as they are fragile and may bite defensively if squeezed. If bitten, wash the area with soap and water.
The American shrew mole ( Neurotrichus gibbsii ) is the smallest species of 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 . It is not closely related to the Asian shrew mole ( Uropsilus in Urotrichini). The reason that it is called a "shrew mole" instead of being called either a "shrew" or a "mole" is because of its fur, which...
Photo: Ken-ichi Ueda, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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