Snappy eater.Speed eaters of the world have a new champion: star-nosed moles Moles Definition A mole (nevus) is a pigmented (colored) spot on the outer layer of the skin (epidermis). Description Moles can be round, oval, flat, or raised. They can occur singly or in clusters on any part of the body. . The moles can find and gobble up Verb 1. gobble up - eat a large amount of food quickly; "The children gobbled down most of the birthday cake" garbage down, shovel in, bolt down eat - take in solid food; "She was eating a banana"; "What did you eat for dinner last night?" 10 items of food in just 2.3 seconds. Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University, at Nashville, Tenn.; coeducational; chartered 1872 as Central Univ. of Methodist Episcopal Church, founded and renamed 1873, opened 1875 through a gift from Cornelius Vanderbilt. Until 1914 it operated under the auspices of the Methodist Church. biologist Kenneth Catania and a colleague discovered this unrivaled feeding frenzy feed·ing frenzy n. 1. A period of intense or excited feeding, as by sharks. 2. Excited activity by a group, especially around a focal point: by filming the foraging moles, or Condylura cristata. Catania observed that the moles, which live in wetlands and snack on small prey such as earthworms, use the 22 tentacles that ring their noses like fingers. The tentacles probe at a rate of 13 times per second to locate food. Then, tweezer-like front teeth nab the prey. To determine quickly if a found item is food, the star-nosed mole relies on its speedy nervous system, or the body's control center consisting of the brain and bundles of cells called nerves. When a mole's tentacle ten·ta·cle n. An elongated, flexible, unsegmented extension, as one of those surrounding the mouth or oral cavity of the squid, used for feeling, grasping, or locomotion. touches an object, nerves on the feeler quickly send a signal to the brain, which decides whether or not the item is food. This nerve-to-brain signal relay nears the maximum speed at which a nervous system can process information, says Catania. What's more, the moles' rapid eating habits leave no time for chewing: The moles simply swallow food whole. So, although eating quickly works for moles, speed-eating poses a choking hazard for humans. Catania warns: "Don't try this at home." DIGGER: Powerful claws help the mole search for earthworms in the dirt. |
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