Senkaku mole explained

The Senkaku mole (Mogera uchidai), also known as the Ryukyu mole, is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It was formerly classified as being the only species in the genus Nesoscaptor. It is endemic to the Uotsuri-jima (Japanese: 魚釣島; hiragana: うおつりじま) of the disputed territory of Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyutai Islands . It is most similar to the Insular mole (Mogera insularis) of Taiwan and mainland China.[1]

Ecological threats

Its existence is threatened by habitat loss, due to the introduction of domestic goats in 1978; the goats now number more than 300 on this tiny island.[2] Its conservation status was upgraded to CR in 2010 by the Biodiversity Center of Japan, although the IUCN still considers that current lack of population data prevents an accurate assessment.[3] New population studies have evaluated the species as vulnerable.

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Motokawa. Masaharu. Lin. Liang-Kong. Cheng. Hsi-Chi. Harada. Masashi. July 2001. Taxonomic Status of the Senkaku Mole, Nesoscaptor uchidai, with Special Reference to Variation in Mogera insularis from Taiwan (Mammalia: Insectivora). Zoological Science. en. 18. 5. 733–740. 10.2108/zsj.18.733. 53584187 . 0289-0003. 2433/57216. free.
  2. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20100922150619/http://edgeofexistence.org/mammals/species_info.php?id=68 . 22 September 2010 . EDGE:: Mammal Species Information(Nesoscaptor uchidai).
  3. Web site: センカクモグラ(絶滅危惧種情報検索). 環境省生物多様性センター . ja.