48/150: Talk about using your nose!

Animalia: Chordata: Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Talpidae: Scalopinae: Condylura cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Moles belong to the family Talpidae which are known for their burrowing behaviours. The star-nosed mole is interestingly distinguishable from all other moles due to a ring of tentacle-like organs surrounding the snout. These fleshy appendages form the star-shaped Eimer’s organs. This unique looking rostrum is used as a sensory aid since these moles have very poor eyesight. This organ is highly specialized to help the star-nosed moles explore environments and detect prey such as worms, insects and small fish. This appendage is also adapted to help the moles “smell” underwater, a feat no other mammal is capable of! #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  ABMC071-05

nucleotide sequence

ACATTATACTTATTATTCGGAGCTTGAGCCGGAATAGCCGGTACAGCCTTAAGTCTGCTAATTCGAGCTGAATTAGGACAACCAGGATCCCTATTAGGCGATGACCAAATCTATAATGTAATTGTAACAGCTCACGCATTCGTAATAATTTTCTTTATAGTTATGCCAATTCTCTTGGGAGGGTTTGGAAATTGACTCGTTCCCTTAATAATTGGGGCTCCAGATATAGCATTCCCACGAATAAATAATATGAGCTTTTGACTATTACCCCCATCATTCTTATTACTATTAGCATCATCTACAGTTGAAGCAGGTGCTGGTACCGGATGAACTGTTTACCCTCCTCTAGCAGGAAACCTAGCTCATGCAGGAGCATCTGTTGATTTAGCCATTTTCTCTCTCCATTTAGCAGGTGTATCATCTATCCTCGGGGCAATTAATTTTATTACCACCATCATCAACATAAAACCACCAGCAATATCACAATATCAAACACCATTATTTGTGTGATCAATTCTAATTACCGCTGTATTACTACTACTATCCCTTCCAGTTCTAGCAGCAGGTATTACAATACTATTAACAGATCGAAATCTAAATACAACATTCTTCGATCCAGCTGGAGGAGGTGACCCTATCCTATATCAACACCTATTC

amino acid sequence

TLYLLFGAWAGMAGTALSLLIRAELGQPGSLLGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFVMIFFMVMPILLGGFGNWLVPLMIGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSFLLLLASSTVEAGAGTGWTVYPPLAGNLAHAGASVDLAIFSLHLAGVSSILGAINFITTIINMKPPAMSQYQTPLFVWSILITAVLLLLSLPVLAAGITMLLTDRNLNTTFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAC8146

Title Image: Specimen HBL008271 – Bruce Peninsula National Park – 19-Aug-1994
Photo Credit: Alex Borisenko, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics