Book 11, Question 34
Why Does the Star-Nosed Mole Have a Nose Shaped Like a Star?
A star-nosed mole has a star-shaped nose because the star is a super touch sensor! It has 22 pink tentacles covered in tiny touch sensors. It taps them on the ground very fast to find food.
More fun facts
- The star nosed mole has 22 finger shaped tentacles around its nostrils.
- The star is a touch organ, not a nose for smelling, and one of the most sensitive in the animal kingdom.
- It is covered in tiny touch sensors called Eimer's organs.
- The star works a lot like an eye, scanning with rapid touches.
- A star nosed mole can find and eat several prey items in a very short time.
- These moles hunt both underground and underwater in wetlands.
Sources: Scientific American, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
What is the star for?
It is a super sensitive touch organ the mole uses to find food.