For our Fugly Friday post, we have chosen the Star Nosed Mole.
The star-nosed mole is a small mole found in wet low areas of eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States.
As its name implies, it has a star for a nose — specifically, a snout
made up of 22 fleshy tentacles, that form a fleshy, circular star. The fleshy tentacles, each of which is covered with over 25,000 sensory
receptors (called Eimer’s organs), are used to repeatedly touch objects
near the mole. The star-nosed mole hunts worms and insects, and its specialized nose
allows it to capture and eat its prey 14 times faster than any other
mole.
The star-nosed mole is covered in thick blackish brown water-repellent
fur and has large scaled feet and a long thick tail, which appears to
function as a fat storage reserve for the spring breeding season. Adults
are 15 to 20 cm in length, weigh about 55 g, and have 44 teeth.
It is the only member of the tribe Condylurini and the genus Condylura.
You can watch the Star Nosed Mole in action in this video from BBC's "Life" documentary series:
So what do you think of the Star Nosed Mole? Is it cute or is it fugly?
Sources: Wikipedia and WildlifeNorthAmerica
