Rootmole

**Appearance**

*Soricidoides pangolin* are small, fleshy organisms with poor eyesight. Their skin is a pale yellow and is sporadically dotted with light hairs. Their bodies are wrinkly, soft, and are damp when healthy. Adults can grow up to ~7.6cm in length from the tip of their snout to the tip of their tail. *S. pangolin* have strong front claws which are used to push away the moist earth in which they burrow. Their back claws are used for moving already loosened soil away from the body, rather than actively digging like the front claws.

   **Habitat**

*S. pangolin* are found on Biron in the Luyten system. This species is almost exclusively subterranean. They burrow through soil in wet and boggy areas and will only occasionally appear above ground where underground springs and bodies of water reach the surface. They can swim poorly through open pockets of water, but mostly burrow through extremely saturated mud surrounding these pockets. The best chance at locating this species on the surface is under large rocks around known subterranean springs, directly after (or during) significant rainfall.

**Respiration**

Most of the oxygen *S. pangolin* require to survive is absorbed through the folds in their skin from the water surrounding their burrows. This dermal respiration functions similarly to the gills of fish on Earth. In large pockets of water, this species can be seen rocking back and forth on its legs in order to allow more water to pass over its skin, and increase its oxygen intake. Occasionally, especially when at the surface, *S. pangolin* will intake air through its nose directly, but this is usually when oxygen levels in the water are unusually low.

**Feeding**

This species is omnivorous and will feed on just about any organic material within the soil. They are extremely efficient decomposers. Any area with a sizable population of *S. pangolin* in the ground tends to have very fertile and healthy soil. They break down rotting vegetation and other organic matter, and convert it into soil after digestion.

**In the Pet Trade**

*S. pangolin* are very popular in the exotic pet trade, although many are cared for improperly. While captive breeding of this species is common, poaching wild individuals still occurs and has significant impacts on the population of this species. Collecting from the wild has caused *S. pangolin* to become increasingly scarce, and some believe they are now endangered, however the subterranean habits of this species make it difficult to get an accurate estimate of its total population. When acquired from a breeder, and with the right set up, this species can live a long and healthy life in captivity. A small aquarium with a section of dirt and a section of water can suffice for keeping an individual of this species. An aerator is necessary within the water in order to keep oxygen levels adequate. This step is frequently neglected by collectors, which leads to high mortality rate of captive individuals. If a captive individual is frequently visiting the surface to breathe through its snout, the oxygen levels are too low in the water inside of its tank. Due to their detritivorous diet, feeding is extremely easy. Most food scraps that can be composted will be sufficient sustenance for this species.