Squirm Alert: The Star Nosed Mole

Here’s a question for you: would you swap your little button nose for a fleshy, pink, squirmy, 22 tentacled-nose – if it allowed you to sniff waaaayy better than everyone else?

You may or may not say yes to wanting a sea urchin-like mass growing out of your head, no matter the benefits, but evoluation has said “yes” to the Star Nosed Mole – and given it a nose unlike any other in the animal kingdom.

The Star-Nosed Mole, found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States, is a small North American mole covered in water-repellent fur, large scaled feet, a long thick tail, and a circle of 22 mobile, pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of its snout, all of which are super-sensitive to touch. The nose may not be pretty, but it allows this species to identify food by touch, such as worms, insects and crustaceans, and hunt more than fourteen times more effectively than any other mole.

Curious about this little guy? Us too! Watch the below video we found for you to learn more!