Kingdom Animalia Tribe Scalopini Phylum Chordata Order Eulipotyphla | Family Talpidae Scientific name Scapanus Rank Genus | |
 | ||
Mass Townsend's mole: 140 g, Coast mole: 62 g Length Townsend's mole: 21 cm, Coast mole: 16 cm Lower classifications Townsend's mole, Coast mole, Broad‑footed mole | ||
Large townsend s mole skull scapanus townsendii
Scapanus is a genus of moles in the family Talpidae. They live in North America from west of the Rockies south to Baja California del Norte, and north to British Columbia, wherever conditions permit a mole population; that is to say, apart from the most sandy, rocky, or developed places. As they are one genus, they are very closely related, but as species, they rarely if ever interbreed successfully.
Contents
It contains the following living species:
In addition, there are several extinct species known from fossils.
Scapanus orarius
Distribution
Townsend's mole is primarily a Californian mole, although its range spills over into neighboring states. The broad-footed mole lives primarily in western Oregon, Washington, and southwestern British Columbia, where it often overlaps the smaller range of the Pacific or coast mole, which, as the name implies, does not tend to range as far inland. The broad-footed is one of the largest and most powerful moles, while the coast mole is a quite average-sized mole.
