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Home/Species/ Hairy-tailed Mole

Parascalops breweri

(Bachman, 1842)

Hairy-tailed Mole

G5Secure Found in 15 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103941
Element CodeAMABB03010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderEulipotyphla
FamilyTalpidae
GenusParascalops
Other Common Names
hairy-tailed mole (EN) Taupe à queue velue (FR)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1996-11-04
Range Extent Comments
Primarily in northeastern U.S. and southern Ontario. Range extends south to Great Smoky Mountains region.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Deciduous woodlands with thick humus. Adapted to second growth stands, old fields, hedgerows. Prefers well-drained, light, moist soil with well-mixed organic matter and minerals. Avoids soils that are hard, dry, or with a large clay content. Two tunnel systems are constructed. Deeper system (10-18" deep) gives resting, breeding space, and winter shelter. Males leave tunnel systems in search of females in breeding season.

Ecology

Home range is about 0.2 acres, expands in summer. Densities vary from 1.2 to ll per acre (Eadie 1939).

Reproduction

Breeding: March-April. Gestation lasts 4 weeks. Litter size: 4-5. Young are born in April-May. Usually 1 litter annually. Sexual maturity is attained 11 months after birth.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodWoodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousOld field
Other Nations (2)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New HampshireS5Yes
MassachusettsS5Yes
ConnecticutS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
MarylandS4Yes
TennesseeS3Yes
VermontS4Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
West VirginiaS4Yes
GeorgiaSUYes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
MaineS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
South CarolinaS2Yes
New JerseySUYes
VirginiaS5Yes
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
QuebecS4Yes
OntarioS4Yes
Roadless Areas (15)
New Hampshire (4)
AreaForestAcres
Carr MountainWhite Mountain National Forest17,110
Great Gulf Ext.White Mountain National Forest15,110
Presidential - Dry River ExtWhite Mountain National Forest10,555
Wild RiverWhite Mountain National Forest46,878
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Tennessee (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Rogers RidgeCherokee National Forest4,738
Vermont (1)
AreaForestAcres
Griffith Lake 09084Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests1,833
Virginia (4)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekJefferson National Forest18,274
Oliver MountainGeorge Washington National Forest13,090
Raccoon BranchJefferson National Forest4,388
Seng MountainJefferson National Forest6,428
West Virginia (2)
AreaForestAcres
Cheat MountainMonongahela National Forest8,191
Mcgowan MountainMonongahela National Forest10,504
References (17)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
  2. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  3. Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
  4. Carraway, L. N., L. F. Alexander, and B. J. Verts. 1993. <i>Scapanus townsendii</i>. Mammalian Species 434:1-7.
  5. Eadie, W.R. 1939. A contribution to the biology of <i>Parascalops breweri</i>. Jour. Mamm. 20:150-173.
  6. Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 304 pp.
  7. Gorman, M. L., and R. D. Stone. 1990. The natural history of moles. Cornell Univ. Press. 208 pp.
  8. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  9. Hallett, J. G. 1978. <i>Parascalops breweri.</i> Mammalian Species 98. 4 pp
  10. Hallt, J.G. 1978. Hairy-tailed mole. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 98. 4 pp.
  11. Hamilton, W. J., Jr., and J. O. Whitaker, Jr. 1979. Mammals of the eastern United States. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. 346 pp.
  12. Hartman, G. D. and T. L. Yates. 1985. <i>Scapanus orarius</i>. American Society of Mammalogists, Mammalian Species No. 253:1-5.
  13. Jackson, H. H. T. 1915. A review of the American moles. North American Fauna 38:1-100.
  14. Linzey, D.W. 2016. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 2016 revision. Southeastern Naturalist 15(Monograph 8):1–93.
  15. Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
  16. van Zyll de Jong, C.G. 1983. Handbook of Canadian mammals. 1. Marsupials and insectivores. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 210 pp.
  17. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.