white-tailed mole

{{Short description|Species of mole}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = White-tailed mole{{MSW3 Hutterer| id=13700716}}

| image = Parascaptor leucura 32423682.jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Molur, S. |date=2016 |title=Parascaptor leucura |volume=2016 |page=e.T41470A22322993 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T41470A22322993.en |access-date=15 November 2021}}

| genus = Parascaptor

| parent_authority = Gill, 1875

| species = leucura

| authority = (Blyth, 1850)

| synonyms =

| range_map = White-tailed Mole area.png

| range_map_caption = White-tailed mole range

}}

The white-tailed mole (Parascaptor leucura) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is found in Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar. This species are endemic to East Asia and exhibit limited distributions.{{Cite journal |last=He |first=K |last2=Shinohara |first2=A |last3=Jiang |first3=X. L. |last4=Campbel |first4=K. L. |date=2014 |title=Multilocus phylogeny of talpine moles (Talpini, Talpidae, Eulipotyphla) and its implications for systematics |url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.10.002 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |volume=70 |pages=513–521}} It is the only species in the genus Parascaptor.

It has a looser articulation between the malleus and the ectotympanic bone and a reduced or absent orbicular apophysis. Parascaptor has a hypertrophied malleus, a feature shared with Scaptochirus but not found in any other talpid genera. It lacks a tensor tympani muscle, possess complete bullae, and has extensions of the middle ear cavity that pneumatize the surrounding basicranial bones.{{cite journal |last1=Mason |first1=M. J. |title=Evolution of the middle ear apparatus in talpid moles |journal=Journal of Morphology |date=2006 |volume=267(6) |pages=678–695 |url=https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.10430}}