Nothing to See Here

It has been an extraordinarily slow crypto-news year here in Canada.  We've had a couple of nibbles, but aside from the guy investigating Bigfoot in an Ontario pot field and a strange noise out of BC, it's a matter of All's Quiet on the Northern Front.

Some year's are like this.  The local fauna just doesn't come out to play with the Cryptozoologists.  Bessie keeps to her depths and Sasquatch is building a bunker to hide from the recently crowd-sourced drone project.  FoxNews called the latest Canadian bigfoot video too inconclusive--and they are the masters of making mountains out of molehills.

So instead of the molehills of Canadian Cryptozoology, I offer you today an unusual Canadian Mole.

Yes, that is an actual photo of an actual animal.  Meet our Star-nosed mole.  This ugly darling is about the size of a hamster and can be found in the wetlands of the east coast to western Ontario (and sometimes eastern Manitoba). That scary snout actually has twenty-two finger like appendages that are more flexible and more sensitive than any other animal on earth.  Like other moles, it burrows (yes, even through snow).  It is also quite an accomplished swimmer.  Both talents come in handy when hiding from hawks and owls.

These moles eat mostly worms, but enjoy other delicacies as well.  Leeches and other aquatic insects make up about 30% of its diet, with the occasion land based insect, mollusk or small fish making up the rest.  In that way, they contribute to the health of soil as grubs can become a problem if not kept in check.  Fortunately this guy is not usually found in places where humans are so there really isn't a need to control their population.  This is a good thing too, as they are resistant to just about everything but trapping.

Cultural habits of these gregarious creatures are difficult to study. Pairs have been found together, suggesting monogamy, but large colonies are also quite common, even nearby to found pairs.  Sometimes groups as large as thirty are found. They don't make many vocal sounds, but they do have large ear openings so perhaps they have a level of communication science has yet to uncover.  During mating season, the emit a odor described as "exceedingly rank and nauseous."

I think I would rather meet a Sasquatch.

Pleasant dreams!














http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star-nosed_mole
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8i0ib52RD1r34mjeo1_500.jpg
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~campbelk/starnose.html
http://www.guelphlabservices.com/files/PDC/005Moles.pdf
http://talesofanactivemind.blogspot.ca/2012/05/deja-vu-insanity-and-caddyshack.html
http://www.animalcontrolsolutions.com/animals/star-nosed-mole.html