than other mammals. They have well developed hearing. Genetics The shrew-mole has 38 chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are XX in females and XY in males. The Y chromosome in males is very small and appears to be similar in all species. Reproduction It can have several litters annually, though no litters have been recorded between December and January. Females have litters with one to four young. Newborns are about 30 millimeters long and weigh less than 1 gram. In females, the vagina remains sealed until follicles appear in the ovaries. Males lack a scrotum, but the testes and associated glands become enlarged, which increases their weight. These characteristics make it difficult to externally determine the sex of shrew-moles. Social behavior It is somewhat gregarious, which means that it lives in loosely organized communities of about 12 to 15 shrew moles. The only known type of vocalization that they produce is a faint twittering sound that can be heard for several feet. It is both diurnal and nocturnal. Economic status Shrew-moles usually live in areas where it is difficult to cultivate so they are usually economically neutral, but there are some cases where they do damage people's homes. There are many different methods that people use for getting rid of these moles. The most common non-commercial method is trapping because it is practical for homes with little land, but unpractical for large areas of land. Other methods include catching moles by spading where a spade is put behind the mole as it creates a surface tunnel or repairs a tunnel and is then lifted up or by hand, where the mole is picked up by its fur. Chemical control agents can also be used. Using bait is another method used to control these shrew-moles. The bait usually consists of some type of cereal grain that is treated with chemicals. The type of cereal grain and chemicals used depends on the manufacturer, but a common chemical is an anticoagulant that inhibits their normal platelet function in the blood, which causes internal hemorrhaging and leads to death. Some other approaches are to force the animal away somehow or to get rid of their food source. There are also many home remedies that are used to get rid of these shrew-moles, but whether or not these methods are successful are usually not evident. These methods include using noisemaker devices such as placing empty soft