The bizarre star-nosed mole: The world’s fastest eater

The Nature of Things
28 May 201903:14

Summary

TLDRIn the boreal forests of Manitoba, the elusive star-nosed mole thrives, using its unique 22-tentacled nose to navigate and hunt. These extraordinary creatures are remarkable excavators, capable of rapidly locating and devouring prey—often in less than a quarter of a second. Almost blind, they rely on their highly sensitive nose, which contains 30,000 sensory organs. The moles even have the ability to smell underwater, making them one of the fastest-eating mammals. Their hunting territory expands in the summer, and they use their nose to detect prey, such as earthworms, beneath decaying leaves and even underwater bubbles.

Takeaways

  • 😀 The boreal forest of Manitoba opens up a vast hunting ground during the summer for one of Canada's most voracious predators.
  • 😀 The star-nosed mole, a little-known creature, lives in hidden subterranean tunnels, making it difficult to observe.
  • 😀 The star-nosed mole is known for its hairless nose, which is surrounded by 22 fleshy tentacles.
  • 😀 Despite its small size, the star-nosed mole is an excellent digger, using its large spade-like paws to tunnel through the earth.
  • 😀 The mole is almost blind, relying on its extraordinary star-shaped nose to navigate and hunt.
  • 😀 The mole's tentacles contain 30,000 sense organs, making it highly efficient at detecting prey.
  • 😀 The star-nosed mole holds the title of the world's fastest-eating mammal, capable of identifying and consuming prey in under a quarter of a second.
  • 😀 During summer, the mole can expand its hunting territory, taking advantage of more available food sources.
  • 😀 One of the mole's unique abilities is its capacity to smell underwater, using air bubbles to trap and detect prey scent.
  • 😀 The mole uses its tentacles to hold the air bubble in place before inhaling it, detecting the scent of prey like earthworms trapped under decaying leaves.

Q & A

  • What is the star-nosed mole and where is it found?

    -The star-nosed mole is a small, subterranean creature found in the boreal forest of Manitoba, Canada. It is one of Canada's most bizarre species, living in dark, damp underground tunnels.

  • What makes the star-nosed mole's nose unique?

    -The star-nosed mole has a hairless nose surrounded by 22 fleshy tentacles. These tentacles contain 30,000 sense organs, making it a highly efficient hunter.

  • How does the star-nosed mole hunt for food?

    -The mole uses its extraordinary nose to navigate its world and locate food. It can identify prey with incredible speed, consuming it in less than a quarter of a second.

  • How does the star-nosed mole’s hunting ability compare to other mammals?

    -The star-nosed mole is the world's fastest-eating mammal, capable of identifying and consuming prey in less than a quarter of a second.

  • How does the star-nosed mole use its tentacles to hunt?

    -The mole's tentacles help it detect the smell of prey by blowing out a bubble of air and holding it in place before inhaling to sample the air molecules trapped inside.

  • Why is the star-nosed mole considered an efficient hunter?

    -The mole is an efficient hunter due to its highly sensitive nose with 30,000 sensory organs, allowing it to detect prey quickly and consume it rapidly.

  • Can the star-nosed mole smell underwater?

    -Yes, the star-nosed mole is one of the few creatures capable of smelling underwater. It does so by releasing a bubble of air underwater to capture the scent of prey.

  • What does the star-nosed mole use its large spade-like paws for?

    -The mole uses its large, spade-like paws to shovel through moist earth, allowing it to dig through underground tunnels and expand its hunting territory.

  • How does the star-nosed mole navigate in its environment?

    -Despite being almost blind, the mole navigates using its extraordinary nose, relying on its tentacles to detect and identify objects and prey.

  • How does the star-nosed mole’s environment affect its hunting behavior?

    -The moist, subterranean environment of the boreal forest provides an ideal habitat for the star-nosed mole, and its hunting behavior is adapted to the conditions, including its ability to smell underwater and rapidly identify prey.

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Related Tags
Star-nosed moleManitoba wildlifeBoreal forestPredatorsUnique animalsMammalsNature documentaryWildlife behaviorFastest eatersAquatic habitatAnimal senses