Parascalops breweri
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri), also known as Brewer's mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus Parascalops. The species epithet breweri refers to Thomas Mayo Brewer, an American naturalist.
Despite inhabiting North America, studies indicate that it is not closely related to the two other North American scalopine moles (Scalopus and Scapanus), but rather to the two Chinese scalopine moles (Scapanulus and Alpiscaptulus). This indicates that the two Chinese moles likely descend from a migration from North America back into Eurasia, where the scalopine moles originated. Some studies have suggested placing Parascalops, Scapanulus, and Alpiscaptulus into a single subtribe Parascalopina.
This animal has dark grey fur with lighter underparts, a pointed nose and a short, hairy tail. It is about 15 centimeters (5.9 in) in length, including a 3-centimeter-long (1.2 in) tail, and weighs about 55 grams (1.9 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. It has 44 teeth. Its eyes are covered by fur and its ears are not external. Its feet and snout are pinkish, but become white in older... Wikipedia →
Recording0:11
United States · 2015
© William J. Deml · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brewer's Mole sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 23 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brewer's Mole in Toronto on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brewer's Mole sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Toronto, in our data
Toronto is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Brewer's Mole sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brewer's Mole is recorded against all the mammals logged in Toronto (7 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
