Star-nosed Mole

Condylura cristata

(con-de-lure-a cris-ta-ta)

---

Does this mole have a rosy red flower stuck to its face? Or a pink, rubbery sea anemone? No—that’s its nose! Shaped like a star with 22 points, or rays, the nose of the star-nosed mole is utterly unique. Most noses are good at picking up smells, but this one helps the mole feel things as it searches for prey and digs underground tunnels.

How does it do this? The mole’s nose is packed with over 25,000 sensory receptors known as Eimer’s organs. Using these organs, they can feel different objects in tremendous detail, sensing the microscopic texture of everything they touch. Since the star-nosed mole is basically blind, this is a huge help to them. And it all happens very fast: Their nose moves around so quickly that it can touch up to 12 objects every second!

The star-nosed mole grows to between 7 and 8 inches (17.5–20 cm) long, with a 0.25-inch-long (7 mm) tail that’s covered in scales and coarse hair.

Where They Live

These critters are native to the northeastern United States, but can also be found in parts of Canada, living farther north than any other kind of mole. They like to inhabit wetlands, like the clearings and meadows near riverbanks, lakes, and ponds.

To find them, you’ll need to look for mole hills, the mounds of dirt piled outside their tunnels. Their intricate tunnel networks can reach 885 feet (270 m) long.

What They Eat

These moles are the world’s fastest eaters. Once they’ve located their prey with their incredible noses, they can devour foods like worms, insects, fish, and crustaceans in just a quarter of a second!

Close Relations

This species is related to the naked mole rat (page 82), which also lives in long, sophisticated tunnel networks.

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Star-nosed moles have a few natural predators: fish, bullfrogs, and large birds, like owls. They’re also hunted by more invasive species, like domesticated cats and dogs, and, like almost all animals, they suffer from the effects of human expansion into their environment. However, these threats don’t impact them enough to put them at risk of extinction.

Fun Facts

• Star-nosed moles can smell underwater! When they wade or swim, they blow air bubbles out of their nose, then inhale them again. This lets them sniff out prey in the surrounding water. We know of only one other mammal that’s able to do this—the water shrew.
• A group of moles is called a labor.
• Eimer’s organs are filled with so many sensory nerves that the star-nosed mole’s nose is five times more sensitive than the human hand!