The Japanese mole (Mogera wogura; 土竜 or コウベモグラ, lit. "Earth Dragon"), also known as Temminck's mole, is a species of moleendemic to Japan.[3] A solitary and diurnal species, it can live for up to 3.5 years in the wild. Their sizes vary depending on the temperature and the hardness of the soil they reside in.[4]
The Kobe mole (M. kobeae) was formerly described as a distinct species, but is now known to be conspecific with M. wogura.[2][3]
This species has shown signs of genetic drift through either paripatric or peripatric speciation. This conclusion has been reached due to the dental anomalies found within the Japanese Mole populations, depending on the region where the Japanese mole is found.[5]
M. wogura is believed to have derived from the arrival of its ancestor to Japan around 0.1 to 0.01 MYA. This was around the last recorded glacial period.[6]