| Japanese shrew mole | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Eulipotyphla |
| Family: | Talpidae |
| Genus: | Urotrichus |
| Species: | U. talpoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Urotrichus talpoides Temminck, 1841 | |
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| Japanese shrew mole range | |
TheJapanese shrew mole (Urotrichus talpoides) orhimizu (ヒミズ) is a species ofmammal in the familyTalpidae. It isendemic to Japan and is found onHonshu,Shikoku,Kyushu,Awaji Island,Shodo Island,Oki Islands,Tsushima Island,Goto Islands,Mishima Island (Yamaguchi Prefecture), andAwashima Island (Niigata Prefecture), but is absent fromHokkaido, which is north ofBlakiston's Line. It is one of threeUrotrichini and it is the onlyextant species in the genusUrotrichus. It is common between sea level and approximately 2,000 m.[1] Sometimes this species is called thegreater Japanese shrew mole and another species,True's shrew mole, is called the "lesser Japanese shrew mole".[2]
The species is an omnivore, but their diet is largely composed of invertebrates and plants, which is why they tend to inhabit soil that is nutrient-rich.[3]
Heinrich Bürger, assistant ofPhilipp Franz von Siebold, collected specimens ofUrotrichus talpoides nearDejima between 1824 and 1826, found lying dead in the fields, which were ultimately described by Temminck after shipping them to the Netherlands.[4]
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