The star-nosed mole uses a 22-tentacled face to see the world through touch.

Nature · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Imagine a creature with a nose that functions like a high-speed hand. The star-nosed mole, a semiaquatic mammal, uses 22 hairless, super-sensitive rays to navigate dark, waterlogged tunnels. It is the world’s fastest eater, capable of identifying and consuming prey in a fraction of a second using touch alone.

The star-nosed mole, Condylura cristata, is a unique member of the Talpidae family, distinguished by a facial star composed of 22 fleshy tendrils. While other moles rely on general tactile senses, this species possesses 25,000 microscopic Eimer’s organs packed into a nose roughly one centimetre across. These organs contain 100,000 nerve endings, providing a sense of touch far more acute than that of the human hand. Researchers like Dr. Gustavo Burin and Ken Catania have noted that this star acts less like a nose and more like a high-resolution eye, allowing the mole to map its environment in complete darkness.

The mechanism behind this speed is extraordinary. As the mole hunts, it moves its star with such velocity that it touches up to 12 objects per second. This rapid scanning mirrors the saccadic movements of primate eyes, with the central rays of the star acting as a fovea—a high-acuity zone for focusing on specific targets. This allows the mole to decide if an object is edible in approximately eight milliseconds, a speed that pushes the limits of neuronal processing. This adaptation likely evolved to help the mole exploit small, soft-bodied prey in the moist, dense soils of its North American wetland habitats.

Beyond its terrestrial prowess, the star-nosed mole is one of only two known mammals capable of smelling underwater. By blowing air bubbles onto scent trails and inhaling them back into its nostrils, it tracks prey through rivers and ponds. Scientists are now studying these unique biological mechanisms to better understand how touch signals are converted into electrical impulses in the nervous system. This research, led by figures like Ken Catania and Diana Bautista, may eventually inform human medical treatments for pain and itch, proving that even the most bizarre evolutionary solutions can offer profound insights into human biology.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• Why the star-nosed mole possesses one of the animal kingdom's most sensitive organs
• Moles stockpile paralysed earthworms in underground larders, sometimes over a thousand at once
• Is the star-nosed mole the world's strangest looking animal?
• The golden mole is not a mole, but a master of subterranean sand swimming
• The eastern mole is a master of the underground, living almost entirely hidden away.
• The prehistoric giants that mastered island life before vanishing alongside early humans
• Seven species of spotted skunk exist, and they all perform handstands before spraying.
• The iconic spiked tail of the Stegosaurus was once dismissed as a mere joke.
• The spotted ratfish is a deep-sea survivor with a venomous spine and rabbit-like face.
• The gentle giant of the Bering Sea vanished less than thirty years after discovery
• The spotted dove is a global traveler that thrives in our urban landscapes
• The steppe bison was a massive, wide-ranging herbivore that once dominated the mammoth steppe.

More in Vertebrates · More in Nature · Latest · A–Z · All topics