The taxonomic position of the Japanese mountain mole (Euroscaptor mizura) was reassessed based on its external and skeletal morphologies. The muzzle shape of the intact individuals in this species exhibits a unique central groove on the ventral side, widening into a small naked portion at the tip. The naked portion becomes long and triangular in dried skin specimens, which was previously used as a specific characteristic of this species. It has the longest tail of talpine moles, with a rod shape that becomes narrow and lanceolate-shaped at the tip. The auditory ossicles include the malleus with a constricted neck and incus with a long processus brevis. It has a regressive mogeroid-type pelvis with two sciatic foramina, and a sacrum fused to the ischium. These morphological characteristics are not shared with continental Euroscaptor species, with which the Japanese mountain mole was originally classified based on the dental formula. Therefore, a new genus is proposed for this species.
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1 December 2016
Morphological Review of the Japanese Mountain Mole (Eulipotyphla, Talpidae) with the Proposal of a New Genus
Shin-ichiro Kawada
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Mammal Study
Vol. 41 • No. 4
December 2016
Vol. 41 • No. 4
December 2016
Euroscaptor
External morphology
new genus
skeletal morphology
Talpa