Feb 26, 2010

The Marsupial Mole

Booge asked that I post on the marsupial mole, and I aim to please.


Behold this little-understood borrowing marsupial of Australia. These blind, earless creatures rarely come to the surface, so we don't know much about them. But when they do rear their endearing heads, we are given a treat. They don't dig permanent burrows, but actually collapse their tunnels behind them as they go. They've got a unique feature to them: their neck vertebrae are fused together to facilitate their burrowing.

I once had a neurosurgeon recommend that I have my c5 & c6 vertebrae fused to treat a ruptured disc. I refused him, and I'm all better. Ah, to think I would have had something in common with this little beast. I can't help but respect any animal that can eat a centipede head first.

Photo source: Ken Tucky









































5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a amazing ugly critter. One question, why does it look like it has more than four legs in the last picture? Are those it's front paws? They look kind of like pincers.

booge said...

I've said it before, but I think it bears repeating: it's a Harkonnen hamster.

Thanks for the request, Wombat.

Longtime viewer,

booge

Carolyn said...

Moles freak me out. Doesn't help that my yard is full of them.

Heather said...

Hmm sounds like some of the respondants to our ( Australian)marsupial mole photos are yanks with comments like " It looks like a hamster" The "pincers" mentioned are actually a scorpian that the mole is eating, Cheers, Heather

Anonymous said...

still fluffy compared to the naked mole rat D: