Genetic variation in a subterranean mammal, Scalopus aquaticus (Insectivora: Talpidae)

Allozyme variation was examined for 382 moles (Scalopus aquaticus) collected from 16 localities located within a 23 km2 area in South Carolina, U.S.A. Of 26 presumptive loci that were scored for all moles, 8 (30.8%) were observed to be polymorphic. Mean direct‐count heterozygosity was 7.2%, c. 75% higher than the mean value reported for mammals. The findings of this study do not support the hypothesis that more purely subterranean species of mammals will exhibit levels of allozyme variation lower than those of above‐ground species.