Bulbous, hooked, Roman, button . . . noses come in all shapes and sizes.
But no nose, not even Pinocchio’s famous pool cue or the latest Hollywood starlet’s, quite compares to the wondrous proboscis of a certain small mole.
The Star-nosed Mole is a dark little creature that burrows in muck. It can swim, too—no other mole can swim. But what most sets it apart is that distinctive nose, which looks more like a misplaced sea anemone than a nasal appliance.
The nose consists of twenty-two small tentacles. Together these tentacles contain some 25,000 touch sensors and 100,000 nerve fibers, and these make the nose several times more sensitive than a human hand. No wonder the Star-nosed Mole is said to possess the best sense of touch of all animals.
So don’t forget this little guy next time you hear about the benefits of a nose-job—sometimes you just can’t improve on nature!
Click here to visit the Star-nosed Mole's entry in the eNature Field Guide. »
That mole is really ugly!