This document may be used, with this header included, for noncommercial purposes within a subscribed institution . No copies of this work may be distributed electronically outside of the subscribed institution, in whole or in part, without written permission from the JHU Press . The scantily haired tail reveals that the scales are arranged in rows around the tail except near the body, where they are arranged diagonally. The tail is compressed for the terminal third of its length. The underside of the long, mobile nose is grooved from its tip to a point between the upper incisor teeth.
Body form is exceedingly narrow, perhaps an adaptation for seeking food in narrow crevices.
The rough and harsh pelage consists of a short, thick underfur covered by a dense layer of long, coarse hair. The scaly tail is almost naked. The color is usually black, but the head and shoulders and the distal half of the tail are whitish. The face is generally marked with black spots near the eyes. White forms also occur.