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#0529 · Generation V

What Animal Is Drilbur Based On?

Drilbur most closely resembles the Star-nosed Mole.

Drilbur official artwork
Drilbur
Star-nosed Mole, the real animal Drilbur most resembles
Real animal: Star-nosed Mole

Closest animal

Star-nosed Mole

Confidence

Strong animal match

How Drilbur compares to the real Star-nosed Mole

Drilbur's official category is the Mole Pokémon. AnimalDex rates its resemblance to the Star-nosed Mole as a strong match, meaning the design reads directly as this animal. Drilbur is the Mole Pokemon, a digging mammal with large claws. Its burrowing life and clawed paws match a mole, such as the star-nosed mole.

The comparison covers looks and behavior cues, not biology: Drilbur is a fictional Pokémon, while the Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) is a real animal. On AnimalDex the real Star-nosed Mole scores 20 for dominance, 20 for speed, 8 for size and 35 for intelligence, out of 100, so its strongest trait is intelligence.

Official category: Mole Pokemon. This page is an AnimalDex comparison for real-animal resemblance, not an official design-origin claim.

Star-nosed Mole

Meet the real Star-nosed Mole

Condylura cristata

A small wetland mole whose star-shaped snout is a touch organ, packed with more than 25,000 sensory domes called Eimer's organs. Sweeping the star across the soil, it can find, identify and swallow a tiny prey item in well under half a second, one of the fastest feeding times measured in a mammal.

How to recognize it

  • Twenty-two pink, fleshy rays ring the end of the snout
  • Dense, blackish-brown fur that sheds water
  • Broad, outward-turned forefeet with strong digging claws

Real Star-nosed Mole facts

  • It swims well and hunts under water, even beneath winter ice, diving from tunnels that open straight into streams and ponds.
  • Under water it can smell by blowing small air bubbles onto objects and sniffing them back in.
Diet
Aquatic insects, worms, larvae, molluscs and other small invertebrates, on land and underwater. It searches by touch with the 22 fleshy rays of its star-shaped nose, identifying and eating prey in a fraction of a second.
Lifespan
They may live several years, with survival tied to wet soil, prey supply, and protection inside tunnel systems.
Predators and threats
Owls, hawks, foxes, mink, snakes, and wetland disturbance threaten moles; tunnels and fast touch reduce exposure.
AnimalDex stats for the Star-nosed Mole, out of 100
DominanceSpeedSizeIntelligence
20/10020/1008/10035/100

Drilbur animal FAQ

What animal is Drilbur based on?
Drilbur most closely resembles the Star-nosed Mole. Drilbur is the Mole Pokemon, a digging mammal with large claws. Its burrowing life and clawed paws match a mole, such as the star-nosed mole.
Is Drilbur a real animal?
No. Drilbur is a fictional Pokémon. Its closest real counterpart is the Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata), which AnimalDex covers with real field-guide facts.
What is the real Star-nosed Mole like?
A small wetland mole whose star-shaped snout is a touch organ, packed with more than 25,000 sensory domes called Eimer's organs. Sweeping the star across the soil, it can find, identify and swallow a tiny prey item in well under half a second, one of the fastest feeding times measured in a mammal.
Which other Pokémon are based on the Star-nosed Mole?
AnimalDex also pairs Diglett, Dugtrio and Excadrill with the Star-nosed Mole.

More Star-nosed Mole comparisons in Generation V

No.PokemonClosest animalBasis
#0530ExcadrillStar-nosed Molemedium