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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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Abstract

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.

© The Mammal Society of Japan
Shin-ichiro Kawada "Morphological Review of the Japanese Mountain Mole (Eulipotyphla, Talpidae) with the Proposal of a New Genus," Mammal Study 41(4), 191-205, (1 December 2016). https://doi.org/10.3106/041.041.0404
Received: 1 April 2016; Accepted: 1 August 2016; Published: 1 December 2016
KEYWORDS
Euroscaptor
External morphology
new genus
skeletal morphology
Talpa
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