...Glenn J. Tattersall; Kevin L. Campbell ABSTRACT The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is renowned for its densely innervated 22 appendage star-like rostrum (‘star’) specialized for tactile sensation. As a northerly distributed insectivorous mammal exploiting aquatic and terrestrial habitats...

.... * Author for correspondence (e-mail: [email protected]) 12 12 2006 © The Company of Biologists Limited 2007 2007 mole insectivore touch directional tuning free nerve ending receptive field phase locking trigeminal ganglion skin epidermis sense merkel cell...

... recorded from 18 captive star-nosed moles, the mean dive duration (9.2±0.2 s; mean ± s.e.m .) and maximum recorded dive time (47 s) of this insectivore were comparable with those of several substantially larger semi-aquatic endotherms. Total body O 2 stores of adult star-nosed moles (34.0 ml kg –1) were...

... volume and oxygen extraction has to be only 1.4 times higher in this small insectivore than in man. The maximal possible oxygen transport rates of the ventilatory and the circulatory system have been estimated and compared with the diffusional transport capacity of the lung. These rates amount...