Scalopinae

New World moles Temporal range:
Eastern mole(Scalopus aquaticus)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Talpidae
Subfamily:	Scalopinae Gill,1875
Tribes
Condylurini Scalopini

TheScalopinae,orNew World moles,are one of three subfamilies of the familyTalpidae,which consists of moles and mole-like animals; the other two subfamilies being the Old World talpids (theTalpinae) and the Chinese shrew-like moles (Uropsilinae). The Scalopinae are the only Talpidae subfamily to consist entirely of undisputedmolesand no mole-like close relatives such asshrew-molesordesmans.

They are found in temperateNorth Americaand parts ofChina.InNorth America,they exist virtually everywhere soil conditions permit except northernCanadaand those areas of northeasternMexicowhere the soil is too sandy. Despite this subfamily being referred to as "New World moles", there are also two species in the mountains ofChina,each in their ownmonotypicgenus. Morphological and paleontological analyses indicate that both tribes in the subfamily originated in Eurasia during theOligoceneand migrated to North America during the Neogene, with the Condylurini later going extinct throughout their Eurasian range. The Scalopini also migrated at least two different times from North America back to Eurasia, with the two Chinese species likely originating from this.In addition, phylogenetic and morphological evidence supports the Condylurini not belonging in the Scalopinae, and occupying a much more basal position inTalpidae.

Taxonomy

The Scalopininae are divided into two tribes, six genera, and nine species:

• TribeCondylurini
  • GenusCondylura,the star-nosed mole
• TribeScalopini
  • GenusScalopus,the common eastern mole
  • GenusScapanus,five species of western moles
  • GenusParascalops,the hairy-tailed mole
  • GenusScapanulus,the Gansu mole
  • GenusAlpiscaptulus,the Medog mole