Orlov's mole

Orlov's mole
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Talpidae
Genus:	Euroscaptor
Species:	E. orlovi
Binomial name
Euroscaptor orlovi Zemlemerova, Bannikova, Lebedev, Rozhnov, & Abramov, 2016
Orlov's mole range

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. ^{[1] [2]} It was named after Russian zoologist Nikolai L. Orlov of the Russian Academy of Sciences. ^[3]

Taxonomy

E. orlovi and its sister species, Kuznetsov's mole (E. kuznetsovi) were formerly considered populations of the long-nosed mole (E. longirostris), but a 2016 study found sufficient genetic divergence to split the populations as distinct species. The Red River likely serves as the geographical barrier separating E. orlovi from E. kuznetsovi. ^[3]

Distribution

It is known from Lào Cai Province in northern Vietnam and Yunnan in southern China. However, it may have a wider distribution in the highlands of northern Laos and in areas of northwestern Vietnam west of the Red River.^{[ citation needed ]}

Description

It is a large-sized mole comparable in size to E. longirostris. It can be distinguished by its long, club-shaped tail as well as its small, light-built skull with a narrow rostrum compared to E. kuznetsovi. It has shorter toothrows than E. longirostris. ^[3]

References

1. "Euroscaptor orlovi Zemlemerova, A. A. Bannikova, Lebedev, Rozhnov, & Abramov, 2016". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists . Retrieved 2021-11-03.
2. taxonomy. "Taxonomy browser (Euroscaptor orlovi)". www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
3. Zemlemerova, E.D.; Bannikova, A.A.; Lebedev, V.S.; Rozhnov, V.V.; Abramov, A.V. (2016). "Secrets of the Underground Vietnam: an Underestimated Species Diversity of Asian Moles (Lipotyphla: Talpidae: Euroscaptor)". Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS. 320 (2): 193–2200. doi: 10.31610/trudyzin/2016.320.2.193 . Retrieved 2021-11-03.