Southern broad-footed mole

The southern broad-footed mole (Scapanus occultus) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is found only in the U.S. state of California and northernmost Baja California in Mexico.^[1][2]

Southern broad-footed mole
Deceased individual
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Eulipotyphla
Family:	Talpidae
Genus:	Scapanus
Species:	S. occultus
Binomial name
Scapanus occultus Grinnell & Swarth, 1912
Synonyms
Scapanus latimanus occultus

Taxonomy

It was formerly considered a subspecies of the northern broad-footed mole (S. latimanus), with the combined species being known as the broad-footed mole, but a 2021 study found sufficient anatomical and genetic divergence to split both as distinct species. The Mexican mole (S. anthonyi) was formerly thought to be a subspecies of the broad-footed mole but is now also considered a distinct species.^[1][3]

Distribution

It ranges from the throughout the southern Sierra Nevada and most of southern California from San Luis Obispo south to the U.S.-Mexico border, and along the Peninsular Ranges into northernmost Baja California. In the two areas where S. occultus and S. latimanus are sympatric (a portion of the southern Sierra Nevada and the northern portion of Santa Barbara), S. occultus inhabits lower altitudes and S. latimanus inhabits higher ones.^[1]

Description

S. occultus is overall smaller in body size than S. latimanus, and has a longer and wider skull.^[1]