Starship: Its tentacled nose is something! (9 photos)

He does not catch stars from the sky, but he carries one with him. He is blind to troubles of this world, but feels each of them. He's underground inhabitant, but mastered the water element. He is a star!





Did I tell you I'd get you a star? Here you are!

From a small mole 10 centimeters in size you don’t expect so many talents, but the star-carrier is completely not a simple mole. He has a star on his forehead, of course, does not burn, but very effectively shines with delicate skin directly On the nose. 22 processes at the tip of the muzzle stick out like fingers very short handles, and in fact perform the same work - feel everything around.



Interestingly, to say hello to the star-bearer, you need to shake his paws or each of the 22 processes?

The mole is also a mole in North America. Our the hero is practically blind, and therefore orientation on the ground had to delegate. To the movements to the touch starship adapted thoroughly. The processes are not only very sensitive - 25,000 Eimer's organs sit on them - microscopic pads with nerve endings. With this sensory setup the animal can easily work as a seismograph - from it no hesitation escapes.



In all the pictures, the star-bearer looks like he is a hospitable host who invites him to dinner.

And in the brain of a star-bearer, it is responsible for touch three areas at once, they occupy half the area of the cortex. So mole actually sees through the nose. And this is not an unfounded statement: scientists tested the talents of the animal and found that groping with two processes are as fast and synchronous as a saccade - eye micromovements. With such a flair, the animal became the fastest mole in the Wild West and in the world. To determine edible yummy in front of you, the star-bearer needs everything 227 milliseconds. Blinking is only twice as fast.



This is my swamp, get out!

Already on this fact it was possible to stop and be in all other respects an ordinary mole, but a star-bearer not from this test. He chose as his residence swamps and wet lowlands, its burrows wind right into the silt and under swamps. But the most interesting thing is that the tunnels always lead to the water, where the short-sighted animal is quite confident of itself feels. For a classic dinner from underground living creatures, like worms and larvae, fish, mollusks and frogs are added. How does the mole look for them if he is almost blind? You won't believe the smell!



Oh, great, the bait caught fishing!

The starfish is the only mammal capable of smell underwater. Other animals have problems with this. for objective reasons: inhale water and not to choke is impossible. How about this does the star mole cope with the task? Again, with the help of the nose!



Boys, water fire, let's go swimming!

A ball of air is formed between the processes - the animal blows out 8-12 tiny bubbles per second. At about the same speed, animals sniff objects in the air. environment. These bubbles trap odor molecules from the water. Then the mole inhales bubbles and smells odorous substances in the same way as if only he were on land!



Thanks to the processes, moles are not only able to form a bubble, but also control it. So the animal can follow the trail.

The starship chases prey day and night, in summer and in winter, destroying living creatures at a faster pace. hibernation the mole does not fall, so for hungry and cold times he does reserves. In the tail. When other moles have a tiny process, our hero has a length almost as long as himself. So there is plenty of room for body fat for a rainy day.



I'm not fat! Just getting ready for winter!

With such a lot of features, only romance remains ordinary. Underground passions are still a mystery to us in many ways, but it is known that moles think about cubs in a very young age. Ten months after birth, they themselves are ready get a family.



I don't even know how to describe the baby starssa. They are cute? Creepy? Strange? Perhaps all together!

True, not for long. Small, naked, even more blind than parents, cubs are on allowance for only a month, and then crawl away into an imaginary sunset to become the most "sighted" moles!