CREATURE FEATURE

Meet the star-nosed mole.

BY ALLYSON SHAW

BUBBLING UP While underwater, star-nosed moles can blow a bubble out of each nostril, hold them with their tentacles, and then inhale them. This helps the mole smell prey like worms and small fish … underwater. EYE DON’T NEED ’EM Star-nosed moles have small, weak eyes. But they don’t use their peepers much—they live mostly underground in near-total darkness. DIG IT Shovel-shaped front limbs and claws help these moles tunnel through dirt and paddle in water. EXTREMELY NOSY Their nostrils are surrounded by a star of 22 fleshy tentacles. They use these extra “fingers” to sense prey in the dirt. KIRK HEWLETT / ALAMY (MAIN IMAGE); © JOEL SARTORE/PHOTO ARK (HEADER IMAGE); KENNETH C. CATANIA (BUBBLING UP); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)…

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National Geographic Kids (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2024

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