Marsupial Mole – Faith
Keywords:
Diving below the surface. Sand wisdom. Using your senses wisely. Believing what you feel and not what you see. The heart of the desert. Wait for the rains to clear. Unusual situations. Confirmation of your beliefs. Let go of doubt, it is doing nothing for you. Faith.
Description:
The marsupial mole of Australia consists of two similar species of burrowing marsupial found in the deserts of Australia. They are a great example of convergent evolution, where despite not being related to the moles of the northern hemisphere, they evolved remarkably similar characteristics and lifestyles to fill that niche in Australia.
They are a beautiful cream-golden colour with an iridescent sheen, have vestigial eyes and no external ears. The marsupial mole’s nostrils are protected by a horny plate and its front paws have evolved two shovelling claws. Marsupial moles live underground and occasionally surface after rain. They consume insects such as ants and termites as well as seeds.
Due to often living in sandy environments their tunnels often collapse behind them, it often looks as though they locomote by swimming through the sand. They have evolved a backwards facing pouch so that it does not fill with sand. They are unique among marsupials, and not thought to be closely related to any other marsupials, they have been around for at least 50 million years. Marsupial moles are solitary and make squealing noises if disturbed.