Did you know that there is a very rare mole in Japan? As the name suggests, the Echigo mole is a very rare mole that is distributed in Echigo. They live in relatively cool areas and their population is said to be very small, making them an endangered species.
habitat
Echigo mole can only be found in Kamo City, Gosen City, Sanjo City, Shibata City, and Niigata City.
Features
Echigo mole is a rare species of mole that can only be seen in Niigata in Japan. Echigo mole is a mammal classified in the class Mammalia, true cecal order, family Mole family, genus Japanese mole. It is known that the Echigo mole has an isolated distribution that does not overlap with the distribution area of the Azuma mole. The body length is 16 to 18 cm, and the weight is 110 to 160 g, making it the largest species among Japanese moles. By the way, there are eight types of moles in Japan, and Niigata is said to be one of the best places to live. The Echigo mole and the Azuma mole can only be seen in Niigata prefecture. The reason why Echigo moles settle in Niigata is because Niigata has soft soil and wetlands, so there is plenty of food for them.
ecology
Echigo moles basically feed on earthworms and small insects. Echigo mole breeds once a year. The reproductive mode is viviparous, and females can give birth to 2 to 6 offspring at a time in the spring.
endangered species
The Echigo mole is a species endemic to Japan, and its population is drastically decreasing. There are two reasons for this. One is land development by humans. Echigo moles like wetlands, but if there are only asphalt roads, it becomes difficult for them to live and find food. Due to habitat loss, some moles are being excluded from residential areas. And in recent years, the Asian mole has expanded into this area. The Asian mole has a strong reproductive capacity and sometimes competes with the Echigo mole for food, so their territories are now distributed so that they do not overlap. As a result, the areas where we can work together are shrinking. The Echigo mole has been designated as an endangered species.
Breeding
As can be seen from the fact that the Echigo mole is designated as an endangered species, it is an animal that requires urgent conservation efforts. Therefore, it would be difficult for ordinary people to keep them.
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