Kuznetsov's mole (''Euroscaptor kuznetsovi'') is a species of

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

in the family

Talpidae The family (biology), family Talpidae () includes the true Mole (animal), moles (as well as the shrew moles and desmans) who are small insectivore, insectivorous mammals of the order (biology), order Eulipotyphla. Talpids are all fossorial, diggi ...

. It is found in northern

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. It was named after Russian mammalogist German V. Kuznetsov of the

Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...

Taxonomy

''E. kuznetsovi'', alongside

Orlov's mole Orlov's mole (''Euroscaptor orlovi'') is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is known from northern Vietnam, southern China, and possibly Laos. It was named after Russian zoologist Nikolai L. Orlov of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ...

(''E. orlovi''), was formerly considered a population of the

long-nosed mole The long-nosed mole (''Euroscaptor longirostris'') is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is endemic to China, where it has a widespread distribution. Orlov's mole (''E. orlovi'') and Kuznetsov's mole (''E. kuznetsovi''), both of wh ...

(''E. longirostris''), but a 2016 study found sufficient genetic divergence to split the populations as distinct species, with the Red River serving as the main geographical barrier leading to ''E. kuznetsovi'''s divergence. It is the

sister species In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

to ''E. orlovi''.

Distribution

It has been recorded from northeastern

in Vĩnh Phúc and

Cao Bằng Cao Bằng () is a city in northern Vietnam. It is the capital and largest settlement of Cao Bằng Province. It is located on the bank of the Bằng Giang river, and is around away from the border with China's Guangxi region. According to the 2 ...

provinces, at elevations of 750 to 950 meters asl. A record from

Guangxi Guangxi,; officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam (Hà Giang Province, Hà Giang, Cao Bằn ...

in southeastern

also likely belongs to this species. It is found east of the Red River.

Description

It is a large-sized mole comparable to ''E. longirostris'' and ''E. orlovi'' in size. Morphologically, it can be distinguished by its large, club-shaped tail, larger skull size, short molar rows, and wider

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit ** podium * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q46310095 Euroscaptor Mammals of Vietnam Mammals of China Mammals described in 2016