Common Star-nose Mole (Condylura cristata) by John Woodhouse Audubon, 1845

John Woodhouse Audubon’s Condylura cristata, Common Star-nose Mole. Natural size. (1845) is a quintessential Victorian zoological illustration—an image where scientific precision and painterly sensitivity meet. Created in the mid-1840s, at the height of America’s natural-history boom, the work captures the star-nosed mole at true scale, foregrounding its astonishing anatomy while placing it within a gently indicated landscape. This is the era when art and observation advanced hand-in-hand, and Audubon’s sheet embodies that union with quiet authority.

Offered here as a museum-quality fine art print, this piece is available on acid-free archival paper or on richly textured artist’s cotton canvas. Choose from a range of sizes, including options that echo the original plate scale, and complete your selection with our custom framing and matting. The Unique Maps Co. can personalize your print with dedication lines, title plates, and tailored border widths—thoughtful touches that make each edition uniquely yours.

About the artist: John Woodhouse Audubon (1812–1862) was an American naturalist and illustrator who helped carry forward the Audubon legacy into the realm of mammals. Working alongside his father, he contributed original paintings to celebrated 19th-century publications on North American fauna, merging field-informed accuracy with a refined studio finish. His work remains highly regarded for its fidelity to living subjects and for the subtle, almost luminous surface he brought to fur, claw, and earth.

About the subject: Condylura cristata—the common star-nosed mole—is famed for the radiating, star-like ring of sensory appendages around its snout, adaptations that make it one of North America’s most intriguing small mammals. Audubon’s decision to depict it at natural size underscores a key goal of period zoological illustration: to transmit identification-ready knowledge to scientists and the public alike. In the 1840s, such images were vital educational tools, fueling both the cataloging of species and the broader popular fascination with the natural world.

About the style and color: The composition balances meticulous detailing in the animal with a softer, more atmospheric backdrop. Muted earth tones define the mole’s dense coat and the textured soil, while hints of vibrant greens and cool blues suggest a damp, riparian habitat without distracting from the star-nosed profile. Against a clean white field, warm ochres and yellow-brown notes ground the scene, and a subtle orange-pink flush at the star-shaped snout draws the eye to the feature that makes this species unmistakable. The result is both instructive and beautiful—an eloquent blend of taxonomy and art that brings a rare creature into the home.

This fine art print makes a distinctive gift for wildlife enthusiasts, biologists, teachers, and anyone who loves the golden age of natural history—perfect for Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, a housewarming, or to delight someone who has recently explored North American wetlands and rivers.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.