biology

Townsend's mole

Townsend's mole is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Townsend's mole rather than just read about it. In short: Townsend's mole (Scapanus townsendii) is a fossorial mammal in the family Talpidae, and is the largest North American mole. It was named after the American naturalist John Kirk Townsend.

Key takeaways

Townsend's mole belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Townsend's mole to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Townsend's mole from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Townsend's mole (Scapanus townsendii) is a fossorial mammal in the family Talpidae, and is the largest North American mole. It was named after the American naturalist John Kirk Townsend. The name was selected at the request of Thomas Nuttall as a patronym to honor Townsend's contribution.

Distribution and habitat It is found in open lowland and wooded areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California. This animal's total range in Canada is estimated to be 20 km² (7.7 mi2).

Conservation Townsend's mole is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN; however, in Canada it is considered an endangered species.

Description It has velvety black fur, a pointed snout and a short, thick, a tail with barely any hair. It is about 21 cm (8.3 in) in length including a 4 cm (1.6 in) tail, and weighs about 138 grams (4.9 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging; the rear paws are smaller. It has 44 teeth. Its ears are not visible and it has small eyes. It is similar in appearance to the smaller coast mole.

Behavior, diet, and breeding Townsend's mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, small invertebrates and plant material. It is active year-round. It is mainly solitary except during mating in late winter. The female has a litter of two to four young in a deep burrow.

References

Sources Bachman, John (1839). "Description of several new species of American quadruped". Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 8 (60): 57–74. Retrieved 10 December 2014. Carraway, Leslie N.; Alexander, Lois F.; Verts, B. J. (23 April 1993). "Scapanus townsendii" (PDF). Mammalian Species (434): 1–7. doi:10.2307/3504286. JSTOR 3504286. Retrieved 15 December 2014.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Townsend's mole

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Townsend's mole claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Townsend's mole before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Townsend's mole ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Townsend's mole

In research: Townsend's mole appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Townsend's mole in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Townsend's mole is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Eulipotyphla stubs, IUCN Red List least concern species, Mammals described in 1839, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Townsend's mole outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Townsend's mole in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Townsend's mole means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Townsend's mole out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Townsend's mole in simple terms?

Townsend's mole (Scapanus townsendii) is a fossorial mammal in the family Talpidae, and is the largest North American mole. It was named after the American naturalist John Kirk Townsend.

Why does Townsend's mole matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Townsend's mole?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Townsend's mole.