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 (Chinese: 釣魚台列嶼). It is most similar to the Insular mole (Mogera insularis) of Taiwan and mainland China.[2]
Senkaku mole | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Eulipotyphla |
Family: | Talpidae |
Genus: | Mogera |
Species: | M. uchidai
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Binomial name | |
Mogera uchidai Abe, Shiraishi & Arai, 1991
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Senkaku mole range |
Ecological threats
editIts 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.[3] 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.[1][4] New population studies have evaluated the species as vulnerable.
References
edit- ^ a b Laginha Pinto Correia, D. (2016). "Mogera uchidai". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14563A22323327. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T14563A22323327.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ 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. 18 (5): 733–740. doi:10.2108/zsj.18.733. hdl:2433/57216. ISSN 0289-0003. S2CID 53584187.
- ^ "EDGE:: Mammal Species Information(Nesoscaptor uchidai)". Archived from the original on 22 September 2010.
- ^ "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 (in Japanese).
Further reading
edit- 伊澤雅子 「センカクモグラ」 『改訂・沖縄県の絶滅のおそれのある野生生物(動物編)-レッドデータおきなわ-』、沖縄県文化環境部自然保護課編 、2005年、19-20頁。 (in Japanese)
External links
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