Talpa micrura
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English: Eastern mole
German: Ostmaulwurf
French: Taulpe de l'est
Spanish: Topo
Distribution areas
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The eastern mole can be found in Middle
and East Asia in the altitudes up to 2000 m
above sea level.
Description of the fur
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Eastern mole skins are from 12 to 16 cm The cuticular structure
long. The hair is dark-grey in colour, the of the fine fibres, 3000x
shade is uniform over the whole body area.
The underfur layer is not distinguishable. The thickness of the coat is 5 to
9 mm. The lower part is straight, as are also other parts of the hair shafts,
in this it differs from the common mole (Talpa europaea), where the shafts
are uniformly waved at the base.
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Talpa micrura
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English: Eastern mole
German: Ostmaulwurf
French: Taulpe de l'est
Spanish: Topo
Structure of the hair
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The skin surface has a smooth
appearance, it is only slightly rippled and
disturbed. The hair follicles are narrow
with straight edges. The follicles contain
only one hair shaft.
The fine fur fibres are circular in The cuticular structure
cross-section at the base and elliptical in of the fine fibres, 2000x
upper parts, of the shaft, with a diameter
of from 6 to 12 µm. The cuticle is covered by non-regular petal-like scales.
The scale surface is smooth and margins are straight. The medulla is wide,
unbroken and central symmetrical shaped in cross-sectional outline. The
overall medullary structure belongs to the fractured uniserial ladder type
with a granular and an amorphous infilling material.
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Talpa micrura
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English: Eastern mole
German: Ostmaulwurf
French: Taulpe de l'est
Spanish: Topo
The intermediate fibres, few in number,
are 15 to 25 µm in diameter. Their
cross-sectional outline is either circular
or elliptical and the shafts are covered by
tile-like scales having even upper margins.
The scale surface is smooth and the margins
are straight. The medullary structure is
wide, unbroken and central-symmetrical
-shaped. This medulla is of the loose, Longitudinal section
uniserial ladder type, with an amorphous of a fine fur fibre, 2000x
infilling substance.
The guard hairs are from 25 to 40 µm in diameter and have a circular or
elliptical cross-sectional outline. The cuticular scales are crenated
tile-like in shape, with a smooth surface and rippled scale margins. The
medullary column is wide, but sometimes the area of the medulla occupies less
than one half of the cross-section of the hair. The medulla is unbroken and
central symmetrical shaped in cross-section. The overall medullar type is of
the loose, uniserial ladder type, with an amorphous infilling substance.
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Talpa micrura
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English: Eastern mole
German: Ostmaulwurf
French: Taulpe de l'est
Spanish: Topo
The cuticular structure
of a guard hair, 2000x
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Talpa micrura
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English: Eastern mole
German: Ostmaulwurf
French: Taulpe de l'est
Spanish: Topo
Transverse section
of a guard hair, 1000x
Numerical code for eastern mole skin structure
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Surface of the skin: 1-4-1
Fine fur fibres: 1.2-13-1-1-2-1-1-3-6.8-6.12-3.7
Intermediate fibres: 2.1-2-1-1-2-1-1-2-8-15.25-5.8
Guard hairs: 2.1-4-1-2-3.2-1-1-2-8-25.41-6.11
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