noun
coast mole; Pacific mole
Refers specifically to Scapanus orarius, a mole species found along the Pacific coast of North America. Used in zoological contexts.
ヒメセイブモグラは北米の太平洋岸に生息する。
The coast mole inhabits the Pacific coast of North America.
図鑑でヒメセイブモグラの生態を調べた。
I looked up the ecology of the coast mole in an illustrated reference book.
Compound of 姫 (hime, 'princess; small') + 西部 (seibu, 'western part') + 土竜 (mogura, 'mole'), literally 'small western mole'. The exact derivation is uncertain; the name likely reflects its smaller size and western North American habitat.