Iberian mole
| Iberian mole | |
|---|---|
| |
| Iberian mole in Oleiros, Spain | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Talpidae |
| Genus: | Talpa |
| Species: | T. occidentalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Talpa occidentalis Cabrera, 1907
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| Iberian mole range | |
The Iberian mole (Talpa occidentalis) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae.
Taxonomy
[edit]First described as a subspecies of Talpa caeca by Angel Cabrera in 1907, Miller shortly after identified it as a separate species based on the skull, and it was formally identified as Talpa occidentalis by Barrett-Hamilton in 1911.[2] It was later again considered a subspecies by Niethammer in 1962, until reanalysis by Jiminzez et all in 1984 and Filipucci et al in 1987.[3][4]
Description
[edit]Adult males are slightly larger than females, at an average of 65 grams (2.3 oz) and 53.5 grams (1.89 oz) respectively.[5]
It is found in Spain and Portugal, primarily in the northwest.[1] It is most commonly found in meadows, cropland or pastures, and woodlands, as well as any temperate area with deep, moist soil that is not too rock, sandy, or otherwise poorly suited for digging. It eats primarily earthworms, and its habitat tends to be areas high in earthworms. It prefers wetter areas, so long as the soil is not too damp to dig in. This includes both naturally wet soils and artificially irrigated croplands and pasture. The species is common in places with traditional agricultural practices.[6][7]
The breeding period is September to May, and pregnancy can occur from October to April.[8] The gestational period is approximately 28 days.[5] Young are weaned by May, after approximately 30 days of nursing.[5][8] Males reach sexual maturity at approximately one year old.[8] Like other species of the genus, females are hermaphroditic, with ovotestis. The prominence of the testicles as opposed to the ovary tissue decreases during the breeding season.[9][5] Some phenotypically male individuals were also found with XX chromosomes. These individuals were externally similar to males with XY chromosomes, but with much smaller testicles. Internally, the testicles were different in structure from the XY males', and the affected males were infertile. The authors of the 1988 paper believed this was the first instance of "sex reversal" found in mammals outside of captivity.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Gazzard, A.; Román, J.; Galicia, D.; Rey, I. (2024). "Talpa occidentalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T41483A227356663. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T41483A227356663.en.
- ^ Cabrera, Angel (1914). Fauna ibérica; mamíferos. Smithsonian Libraries. Madrid, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales.
- ^ van Cleef-Roders, J. T.; van den Hoek Ostende, Lars (2001-01-01). "Dental morphology of Talpa europaea and Talpa occidentalis (Mammalia: Insectivora) with a discussion of fossil Talpa in the Pleistocene of Europe". Zoologische Mededelingen. 75: 51–68. ISSN 0024-0672.
- ^ Filippucci, Maria Grazia; Nascetti, Giuseppe; Capanna, Ernesto; Bullini, Luciano (1987-08-28). "Allozyme Variation and Systematics of European Moles of the Genus Talpa (Mammalia, Insectivora)". Journal of Mammalogy. 68 (3): 487–499. doi:10.2307/1381585. ISSN 0022-2372. JSTOR 1381585.
- ^ a b c d Barrionuevo, Francisco J.; Zurita, Federico; Burgos, Miguel; Jiménez, Rafael (2004). "Developmental Stages and Growth Rate of the Mole Talpa occidentalis (Insectivora, Mammalia)". Journal of Mammalogy. 85 (1): 120–125. doi:10.1644/BPR-010. ISSN 0022-2372. JSTOR 1383985.
- ^ Suárez-Seoane, Susana; Virgós, Emilio; Terroba, Olga; Pardavila, Xosé; Barea-Azcón, Jose M. (2014). "Scaling of species distribution models across spatial resolutions and extents along a biogeographic gradient. The case of the Iberian mole Talpa occidentalis". Ecography. 37 (3): 279–292. Bibcode:2014Ecogr..37..279S. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00077.x. ISSN 1600-0587.
- ^ Llorente, Esther; Terroba, Olga; Encinar, Daniel; Hernández-Hernández, Javier; Martín-García, Sara; Virgós, Emilio (2021-12-01). "Variations in the abundance of the Iberian mole (Talpa occidentalis) in a habitat and climatic gradient in central Spain". Mammalian Biology. 101 (6): 997–1004. doi:10.1007/s42991-021-00166-7. ISSN 1618-1476.
- ^ a b c Jiménez, Rafael; Burgos, Miguel; Sánchez, Antonio; Diaz de la Guardia, Rafael (1990-03-12). "The reproductive cycle of Talpa occidentalis in the southeastern Iberian Peninsula". Acta Theriologica. 35: 165–169. doi:10.4098/AT.arch.90-18.
- ^ Jiménez, Rafael; Burgos, Miguel; Sánchez, Antonio; Sinclair, Andrew H.; Alarcón, Francisco J.; Marín, Juan J.; Ortega, Esperanza; Díaz de la Guardia, Rafael (1993-08-01). "Fertile females of the mole Talpa occidentalis are phenotypic intersexes with ovotestes". Development. 118 (4): 1303–1311. doi:10.1242/dev.118.4.1303. ISSN 0950-1991. PMID 8269856.
- ^ Jiménez, R.; Burgos, M.; Caballero, L.; Guardia, R. Díaz De La (14 April 2009). "Sex reversal in a wild population of Talpa occidentalis (Insectivora, mammalia)". Genetics Research. 52 (2): 135–140. doi:10.1017/S0016672300027506. ISSN 1469-5073.