KM Viray
6. Star-nosed Mole
Imagine having finger-like things coming out of your face. Well, the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) experiences this every single moment of its life. But these finger-like things aren’t deformities.
They’re actually the mole’s “nose.” More commonly called whiffers, these appendages act more like ultrasensitive fingers than noses, though. The 22 fleshy appendages are lined with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors that help the mole feel its way through its underground lair.
This small, semi-aquatic mammal inhabits the low wetlands of eastern North America. Like other moles, it ekes out an existence in a network of narrow underground tunnels, and digs shallow surface tunnels where it forages for insects, worms, and mollusks.
