Description and photo of newborn moles

Starfish

Known under the names star-nosed mole, star-nosed mole, star-nosed mole, star-nosed mole. In appearance it is similar to most other moles, but differs in its elongated tail (6–8 cm) and hard fur that does not get wet. There are two skin growths on the face, similar in appearance to an asterisk, which is where the name of the individuals comes from. Animals in adulthood weigh up to 85 g. The eyes are small, but clearly distinguishable in appearance. Lives in the eastern regions of North America.

Western American

The body length of the animal is 11–14 cm, while the tail can take up to 5.5 cm. Body weight reaches 170 grams. The proboscis of the muzzle is moderately elongated. The eyes are small, hidden under the fur. There is no external auricle. The hand of the foot is very wide. The tail is thick, covered with sparse hairs. Distributed in North America.

A small species of the Mole family. Lives in China.

Long-tailed

Lives in Asia. Body length 7–9 cm, weight up to 12 grams. There are no auricles. The front legs are slightly widened and equipped with almost straight claws.

Distributed in the Chinese province of Sichuan. It lives mainly in forests of the temperate zone.

Caucasian

Outwardly, it almost completely resembles a European mole. It stands out only for its rudimentary eyes covered with thin skin. It has large teeth and velvety fur. It can burrow to a depth of 1 m. It eats up to 40 g of food per day.

Blind

The smallest mole in our country with a body length of 8–12 cm, weight – no more than 30 grams. The eyes are covered with thin skin. Tail length is about 3 cm.

Japanese mogera

It lives in the southern territories of Japan, as well as in China, Korea and the south of Primorsky Krai. Prefers to live in cultivated fields and meadows.

Is the mole really blind and can't see anything?

Despite the efforts of modern education, many people are convinced that the mole is blind. They say, why does this animal need vision, because moles live underground, in absolute darkness.

And indeed, in most cases, the eyes of animals caught in gardens are not visible at all. Often they are not found in moles in various photographs, of which there are many on the Internet: usually only a completely fur-covered head is visible, without a single hint of not only eyes, but also ears:

In fact, moles are not blind at all, they have eyes, and they successfully use them. To dispel some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding the idea of mole blindness, let's take a closer look at these points.

Is the mole blind?

The photo below shows the head of a common European mole:

The spot that the arrow points to is the animal's eye. Moreover, this is a full-fledged eye that sees, albeit not as well as a person’s.

However, it is true that the vision of moles in general is relatively poor. They can:

Distinguish between primary colors;
Distinguish between light and darkness;
Register the movement of objects with your eyes;
Seeing large objects that stand out (for example, a large pile of dirt against a background of green grass).

At the same time, a mole is not able to distinguish, for example, a hidden predator (for example, a ferret) from a stone. He cannot see a worm lying motionless on the ground, but detects it through his sense of smell and touch. Tactile abilities are especially developed in the so-called star-nosed moles, which have very sensitive mobile outgrowths in the nose area.

Below is a photograph of a star-nosed mole - this animal has a kind of additional “tactile” vision due to sensitive outgrowths, with which it quickly feels the path in front of it when moving:

Also, most species of moles do not see distant objects. The radius of their vision is about 1-2 meters, and everything that is further is a blurred background.

However, the presence of eyes and the ability to see with them suggests that moles are not blind. Thus, the saying “blind as a mole” is not entirely correct, although it is quite understandable why it appeared...

Why is it believed that moles are blind?

The opinion that the mole is blind apparently arose from the testimony of people who noticed it in the wild or caught it in their areas.

Firstly, if you don’t purposefully look for the mole’s eyes, they are not noticeable at all. The animal's fur completely hides them, and nothing is visible on the head except the nose.

At the same time, you should not expect that a summer resident or gardener, resentful of the damaged beds, will carefully pick at the animal’s fur, looking for its eyes.

One glance (unfortunately, often at a killed animal) is enough to understand that the mole seems to have no eyes at all, and therefore the animal is blind.

Secondly, the question is quite logical: why, exactly, does a mole need vision? After all, he spends most of his life underground, and comes to the surface only occasionally, more often at night. The need for such a luxury as eyes, into which dust and earth can get in during underground work, is highly doubtful.

Nevertheless, the eyes of a mole are still useful, but more on that later.

You also need to take into account that in some species of moles the eyelids grow together, and the eyes literally remain under the skin. They have eyeballs, and they even see something, but there are no eyes on the surface of the body - is this not a reason to say that moles are blind?

In reality, moles can be considered blind only when their organs of vision, wherever they are located, do not transmit any information to the brain.

In most species of these animals, the eyes work for their intended purpose, like optical instruments, albeit very weak ones.

Moreover, even being under the skin, they see, distinguish between light and darkness, and make the animal sighted to a certain extent.

At the same time, the term “blind mole” itself, although not correct, is used in science. In science, in general, there are many such inaccuracies, and a separate species of mammal is called a blind mole.

Blind mole as an independent species

The small mole, Talpa caeca, is the name given to the blind mole, the smallest member of the family in Europe. Like an ordinary mole, it has eyes, but they are constantly under the skin and can only distinguish between light and dark (there are also suggestions that it has color vision, although detailed studies have not been carried out to confirm this).

In the photo there is a blind mole:

In general, this animal is similar in its anatomy and biology to its other relatives, having only a few pronounced and original differences:

It is really small, rarely grows more than 12 cm in length (in the common mole the body length usually reaches 15-16 cm) and does not weigh more than 30 grams;
This species has through holes in the collarbone, the origin and functions of which are still unclear;
The blind mole mates in winter, still in the frozen soil under the snow, and its cubs are born in March, becoming completely independent individuals by the usual breeding season of other species.

Talpa caeca lives mainly in southern Europe, Italy and Greece, but is not found in Russia. Previously, it was combined with the Caucasian mole into one species, but today it is considered an independent, full-fledged systematic unit, and its habitat in the east is limited to Macedonia.

The blind mole prefers to settle in the foothills, in subalpine grassy meadows, is often found in the same habitats as the Caucasian mole, and can even use its passages to move and collect prey. In northern Greece, the range may overlap with that of the common European mole.

The photo below shows piles of earth in a meadow, thrown out of the way by a small mole:

However, as you now understand, even a blind mole has eyes (even if they are located under the skin) and is able to see to some extent. This means that he is not as blind as they call him.

Can a mole live without sight?

The mole actually uses his eyes all the time. Research shows that it:

He strives to get away from bright light - this allows him to constantly be under the cover of the soil, and appear on the surface mainly in the dark, when most of his enemies are sleeping;
Notices a predator that has failed or deliberately climbed into a tunnel, mainly due to the ability of the eyes to register movement. And although in this situation the animal does not always manage to escape, often it is the detection of the predator using vision that allows it to stay alive. And such “sighted” individuals, by further participating in reproduction and passing on their genes to offspring, inhibit the evolutionary degradation of vision;
When going under the snow or onto the soil surface, the animal can use its eyes to detect moving prey.

That is, the mole’s vision helps a lot in his difficult life.

At the same time, under normal conditions, a mole can perform almost all actions necessary for life without using its eyes.

Collecting worms and insects in tunnels, searching for a sexual partner, making new tunnels, raising offspring - all this does not require the use of vision, at least the absence of it is not critical for performing these operations. And even a completely blind mole can cope with these tasks quite well.

Highly organized large eyes that provide sharp vision, under conditions of regular underground work, would constantly become clogged, fester, leading to illness and death.

Perhaps this is what happened in the distant past, while moles adapted to underground life, and natural selection mercilessly weeded out those whose vision was worse than required, but better than necessary for survival.

We conclude: a mole is capable of living without vision. But in many cases it makes his life easier, and sometimes even saves him. That is, vision for a mole is like the ability to run fast for a person: it usually does not help to earn money and build a career, but in dangerous situations it can be extremely useful...

If not vision, then what?

Weakness of vision in moles is more than compensated by well-developed other senses.

First of all, moles have a delicate sense of smell. They find worms and insects by smell, and when they get into someone else's tunnel, they immediately determine its age and occupation, the sex of the owner and the species. The smell helps them in finding a sexual partner.

Secondly, the mole hears well. It is believed that the animal is able to hear the footsteps of a person several tens of meters away. Thanks to the unique structure of the inner ear, not found in any other mammals, the mole is very sensitive to low-frequency vibrations and can sense the approach of earthquakes.

Thirdly, the mole's nose has special sensitive areas with which the animal can touch the intended prey in order to study it. These areas are called Eimer's organs and are responsible for tactile sensations (like the feeling of touching any object with a finger in a person, only much more sensitive).

These organs are especially strongly, literally hypertrophied, developed in the star-nosed mole, turning into finger-like processes with which the animal literally probes everything around it. In the pitch darkness of an underground passage, such an organ turns out to be more functional than the eye, which requires light.

By touching an earthworm with its nose, the animal immediately receives information about its temperature, humidity, body surface topography, and ability to move. All this happens at a reflex level and at tremendous speed - 8 milliseconds is enough for an animal to evaluate the edibility of what is under its nose.

In general, the senses of moles are perfectly balanced and are suitable precisely for the lifestyle that these animals lead. And if they have eyes now, it means they are still needed.

Other animals leading a similar lifestyle have practically lost these organs and are truly blind. For example, the Australian marsupial mole does not see anything at all, not even having an optic nerve.

Interesting video: a blind mole can’t find his way home...

It is not known who was more surprised - the person who filmed the video or the mole

Source: https://krot911.ru/kroty/o-krotax/pochemu-krot-slepoj.html

Appearance and features

Photo: Animal mole

The main feature of these small animals is the lack of vision. If for humans and other animals the lack of vision is a serious defect, then for moles it is considered the norm and even a necessity. Having normal eyes, these animals simply would not be able to spend almost their entire lives underground. Moles have eyes, but in most species they are additionally protected by a layer of skin.

Not only the organs of vision are completely adapted to underground life. The hearing organs are also adapted to it. Moles do not have ears. This is also not just provided by nature. If there were ears, then too high pressure would form in them. Such pressure would not allow the animal to be in the soil.

Diggers have fur that is very pleasant to the touch. It also has some features that differ from the fur of other animals. The mole fur covering can be easily folded in different directions. This property allows animals to slip into narrow underground tunnels without problems. The color of the fur is usually black, brown or dark gray.

The appearance of moles can be characterized by the following parameters:

The total length of the animal is about sixteen centimeters. Of this, the body occupies approximately seven centimeters, and the rest is the length of the head and tail.
The average weight of the animal is fifteen grams. However, representatives of the family of larger sizes are known. For example, scientists came across the Ussuri mogera, whose length is twenty-one centimeters.
The body shape of this mammal is bar-shaped. Moles have a tiny head and an almost invisible neck. The auricles of most members of the family are undeveloped, while in others they are very small and covered with hair. Animals also have a nose in the form of a small proboscis. It contains sensitive hairs. The nostrils are directed forward.
The mammal's paws have five toes. They are the main tool for digging long tunnels. The paws are strong and have claws. The hands resemble shovels; they are turned with the palms facing outward. The mole digs tunnels with its front legs, while its hind legs are less strong. They are very thin and resemble the paws of rats.

What is the name and appearance of a baby mole?

According to Dahl's dictionary, baby moles are called krotenok or krotysh, and in the plural they are called moles.

The thick body is covered with short velvety fur. The exceptional property of the pile to grow straight allows the mole to move freely underground in different directions. The mole has black-brown, dark gray or black hair. With constant contact with the ground, the fur quickly wipes off. The small mammal has to change its skin three times a year. Mole fur is highly prized, it is beautiful, light and very durable.

The incredibly small eyes and ears are covered with skin and fur to prevent dirt from getting into them. The front paws of moles have large claws and are webbed and shovel-shaped, with which they quite skillfully rake the ground, working all day long. The hind legs are much less developed than the front legs. Moles have a short tail, a small elongated head, and a nose extended into a movable proboscis.

Description of the animal

Its cylindrical, shortened, dense body helps it move through dug tunnels. It is slightly pointed at the front and rounded at the back.

The front part is much better developed. The animal has 6 main species and 11 different varieties. They differ in the structure of the jaw, skeleton, their weight, and size.

Young individuals differ from older mammals in the silvery hue of their skin. The mole has practically no neck. The head seems pulled into the shoulders.

The body smoothly touches the triangular head. On the head there is a proboscis, along the edges of which there are vibrissae. Thanks to these sensitive hairs, the animal finds food.

The mole's forelimbs are wide, everted, and shaped like a shovel. Initially the paws are silver-black. Over time they begin to fade.

There are 5 tightly pressed toes on the feet. They are connected by thin membranes. The claws are elongated, strong, slightly flattened. They reach 10 mm in length.

The hind feet are unwebbed, but with very sharp, elongated claws. The animal has 44 teeth, 2 of which are well-developed upper canines. In adult moles, the fangs are severely worn out.

The size of a male mole from proboscis to tail can reach 115-200 mm, females - from 105 to 145 mm. The weight of males is 90-100 g, females - 60-80 g.

What is a mole doing underground?

Soil dwellers, moles spend their entire lives underground. In this regard, they have very poor vision, but acute hearing and smell. A mole's eyes are small holes that have no eyelashes or eyelids. The body shape of this animal is very convenient for climbing in the ground.

The mole does not have ears (the auditory openings are protected only by a fold of skin) and a long tail, but it has powerful front paws, which it needs, just like an excavator needs a bucket. They have an unusual structure and, unlike, for example, human hands, moles’ palms are on the back side to make it convenient to tear up the ground.

A mole can dig a hole and hide in it in 1 minute.

Can a mole see?

The mole sees, but poorly, because he spends most of his time underground. In some species of these animals, the eyes are covered with skin.

If a mole is lowered to the ground, it will immediately begin to run around in search of soft soil and, as soon as it finds it, it will immediately begin to dig. It is not safe for outsiders to enter the mole’s home.

His teeth are so sharp that, in self-defense, he can kill a much larger rodent.

Underground Worker

The mole constantly works underground. In one day, this animal can dig a tunnel of several tens of meters. Digging is not just a way to have fun. The mole needs underground passages to feed itself.

And these animals eat quite a lot. Every day the mole needs to eat the same amount of food by weight, which is equal to its own weight.

Earthworms, larvae, wireworms, snails, mole crickets, etc. are suitable food for this underground inhabitant.

In addition to the “dining” tunnels, moles also dig nesting tunnels. The animals cover their bottom with dry leaves and grass. This place serves them for relaxation.

What kind of appetite does a mole have?

As it turned out, moles - small animals covered with a beautiful dark silver coat - are surprisingly voracious. A mole, whose weight does not exceed 100 g, can eat more than 20 kg (!) of worms and various insects per year with a clear conscience and without harm to its health.

Apparently, a very good appetite also explains the fact that moles are able to easily not only very quickly (one meter in 10 minutes) dig a convenient underground passage, but also move along it at a “crazy” speed - about 25 m/min.

By the way, moles easily lead their almost entirely underground life, rarely appearing on the surface, due to the fact that their blood contains a huge amount - much more than other animals of the same size - of hemoglobin.

Cannibal moles

As for the offspring, female moles usually give birth to from 2 to 9 babies. Mothers are very caring towards their cubs, they teach the moles to dig tunnels and find food for themselves. After about a month, the cubs already reach the size of their parents. The lifespan of these animals is not very long - it can only reach up to five years.

Speaking about moles, it is impossible not to touch on the topic of their relationships with each other. These underground dwellers do not tolerate any sense of competition. If two moles meet in the same territory, they immediately start a fight, and the stronger animal eats the weaker one.

What is the difference between a mole and a mole rat?

Animals belong to different orders: moles belong to the order of insectivores, mole rats belong to the order of rodents.
Moles are carnivorous and feed mainly on invertebrates (earthworms, beetle larvae). Mole rats eat underground parts of plants: roots, tubers, bulbs.
Mole rats dig the ground with large incisors and push it to the surface with their heads. Moles dig and push out soil with their front paws.
Mole rats are larger than moles: their body sizes vary from 13 to 35 cm, and their weight can reach 700 g. The largest mole, the greater mogera, weighs 300 g and reaches a length of 21 cm.
The fur of moles is painted in dark colors: black, dark brown, dark gray and their variations. Mole rats are much lighter in color. Their color is dominated by gray, yellowish, brownish and ocher tones.
Moles have a small tail, ranging from 2 to 10 cm in length. In mole rats, the tail is vestigial and not noticeable from the outside.
Moles are not blind, unlike mole rats. They see, although poorly. Moles have small eyes, but are covered by skin only in some species. The eyeballs of mole rats are large, but are always located under the skin.
The habitat of moles is wider geographically: moles live in Eurasia and North America, and gravitate towards forest or forest-steppe zones. Mole rats live in the southern and eastern regions of Europe and Western Asia, preferring steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, and sometimes forest-steppe.

Underground mole

The fauna underground is no less diverse than above. The underground mole is another living creature among the thousands of underground inhabitants.

Mole - underground dweller

If you notice a low mound of loose earth in a field or garden, you can be sure that a mole lives under it. His entire life passes underground, only in the rarest cases does he rise to the surface. This mammal inhabits large areas of North America and Eurasia.

Mole (Talpidae).

How a mole adapted to life underground

Wise nature made sure that the mole could live comfortably underground. The body is oval-shaped, dense, the head is connected to it by a thick neck, the muzzle with a wide forehead is elongated with a narrow stigma - all this helps the mole to move easily and freely underground.

The animal has no eyes as such, only small holes, half-covered by fur. There are underground moles in which they are generally densely overgrown. And an underground dweller does not need vision. But their hearing is well developed, despite the absence of auricles - only special leathery folds protect the ear openings from soil.

Mole - the greatest tunnel digger

The mole's front paws are very similar to small shovels. With them he deftly and quickly rake the ground and dig passages. At the same time, five well-developed fingers in the hand also help in the digging process.

And even wool is a helper for the mole underground. The beautiful, shiny, brown or black coat consists of straight growing hairs. As a result, when moving through underground passages, they lie in the right direction and do not interfere with his movement.

A mole's life underground

The mole is underground all day and night and is on the move almost all the time, digging tunnels. It usually settles in places where the soil is moist and easy to dig. These are forest edges, meadow and floodplain lowlands. They do this work for a reason; they are looking for food, which is why the passages are called feeding passages.

The mole is a frequent visitor to garden plots. He won the strong dislike of gardeners.

They are located shallow, only 5–10 cm underground, but permanent passages are at a depth of 15–20 cm.

He does not have the strength to lift such a thickness with his head; he has to push out part of the earth after a short distance. It turns out to be a so-called otnorok.

It’s easy to see where it will appear: suddenly the soil begins to move slightly, then the loose part rises and grows before our eyes, becoming a mound.

Favorite food is earthworms. They even store them for the winter in their burrow. And so that the worms do not escape and remain alive, but paralyzed, the moles bite off their heads. The pointed teeth of the predator catch both pupae and larvae, as well as adult insects. And even a mouse or a shrew is too tough for him!

If the mole does not find food within 12 hours, it may die.

What does a mole eat?

Moles eat a lot, as they lose a lot of energy when digging. So it turns out to be a vicious circle: you want to eat - you have to dig the ground - while you are digging - you want to eat again. It can only live for 12 hours without food, so it has to go hunting both at night and during the day.

Contrary to popular belief that moles spoil root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, moles do not. Mouse-like rodents are crop eaters. Because he does not eat plant foods. And this opinion appeared due to the fact that when digging tunnels, the roots of plants are undermined and disturbed, and this is why they die.

Star-nosed mole. It got its name from the unusual structure of its nose.

Settling in gardens and orchards, moles, with their underground passages and numerous mounds, disturb the integrity of the soil. If it is a lawn, it will be difficult to walk through it with a lawn mower, and the beauty of flower beds can be spoiled by dug-up soil.

Benefits of moles

But with all this, moles also bring enormous benefits by eating large quantities of harmful insects, for example, the larvae of the cockchafer. The soil loosened by the mole becomes light, airy and produces large yields. People also use beautiful mole fur, which becomes especially lush and warm after October.

Star-nosed mole babies.

Enemies of moles in nature

Foxes hunt moles, dig up their burrows, but they don’t eat them, the smell from them is too strong. But weasels eat moles without disdaining anything. So these nimble, small animals are the main enemy of moles.

Source: https://animalreader.ru/podzemnyiy-krot.html

Russian species of moles

There are 4 species of moles living on our territory. For example:

Common or European mole (Talpa europaea).
Siberian or Altai mole (Talpa altaica).
Blind mole (Talpa caeca).
Caucasian mole (Talpa caucasica).

In addition to these species of true moles, in the Far East there are two more species of this family, which represent the genus Mohera: Mohera greater or Ussuri and Mohera Japanese. Moles and mogers live underground, so they have similarities due to the same lifestyle and diet. They differ only in the color of their body, which in mogeras is brownish-brown. As for other differences, only specialists know about them. If you see animals in photographs, even external differences are difficult to distinguish. Look at the photo of the mole and mogera below.

General characteristics of the appearance of the mole family:

The body is elongated, covered with short hair, and cylindrical in shape.
The forelimbs are in the form of shovels, armed with powerful claws.
The claws are strong and flat.
The hind limbs are much less developed.
The skull is small in size and has a cone-shaped shape.
The mole's nose looks like a small proboscis.
All moles have underdeveloped eyes, and in some species they are covered with a kind of film.

Different species of moles have different numbers of teeth in their mouths, which is the main feature by which the type of animal can be determined.

All moles are distinguished by the fact that their fur grows straight upward, which does not prevent the animal from moving forward/backward through its tunnels. Therefore, the wool can be laid in any direction.

European or common mole

The habitat of this amazing animal extends over almost all of Eurasia. At the same time, the northern borders pass through the taiga, and the southern borders through the forest-steppe. The western borders are the Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern borders are the Lena River basin.

General characteristics:

This animal is about 15 cm long with a short tail of about 3 cm.
The maximum weight of the animal is a little more than 100 grams.
The European mole has eyes up to 1 mm in size.
Its color is matte black, with the fur on its belly being a lighter shade. In young individuals the coloring is duller.

Altai or Siberian mole

This representative of the mole family has clearly expressed sexual dimorphism, compared to the common mole.

Females grow up to a maximum length of 17 cm with a weight of up to 145 g, while males are more massive in size, growing in length to almost 20 cm and gaining weight of more than 200 grams.
This species has better developed eyes and even has movable eyelids.
The color is plain, in lead-gray tones or black with a brown tint. At the same time, individuals living in mountainous areas have a darker color, and gray shades are more characteristic of representatives of moles living in flat areas.

This species lives in the vastness of the western and middle parts of Siberia.

Blind or small mole

The smallest representative of moles that lives on our territory. The animal grows to a maximum length of 12 cm, has a short tail, no more than 3 cm long and weighs only 30 grams. It differs in that it has no eyes and is black or dark brown in color.

The main habitat is located in the Caucasus. The animal's diet includes beetle larvae and other food items of animal origin.

Caucasian mole

It has an external resemblance to the common mole, but also has no eyes. It grows up to 15 cm in length and has a tail about 2 and a half cm long or a little more. The animal weighs about 80 grams. It is distinguished by its purely black fur color.

The habitat is limited to the Caucasus Range and the surrounding area.

Wildlife: mole

Watch this video on YouTube

Are moles blind from birth?

There is an opinion that moles are blind, but they see, but very poorly. Underground has no vision

of special significance, since it is still dark there.

Moles do not like sunlight, but they are able to:

distinguish some contrasting colors;
distinguish darkness from light;
notice moving objects;
see large convex objects.

Moles can only distinguish objects within a radius of about two meters. The statement that moles are blind even though they have eyes and poor vision is incorrect.

Reproduction

Sometimes moles break their solitary lifestyle to mate. Immediately after its completion, the male leaves the female. He does not help build nests for his young and does not participate in their upbringing. During the breeding season, females show increased aggressiveness towards individuals of their own sex.

Usually there is no more than one brood per year. The gestation period varies depending on the species from 30 (common moles) to 42 days (Eastern moles).

A new generation is born in nests. A brood consists of two to seven individuals. Initially they are naked and hairless, but after two weeks they become overgrown with fur. At three weeks of age, their eyes open. In the first month, babies' nutrition consists only of mother's milk. On the 35th day, moles leave their native nest and begin to look for a free area for themselves. During this period, many of them die under the wheels of cars or from predators.

Lifestyle of moles

The mole spends most of its time underground. Most individuals are active both during the day and at night. During the day they have several periods of activity lasting 3-4 hours, and during breaks the animals rest in the nest.

Typically, moles lead a sedentary lifestyle, but in hot and dry weather, some individuals leave their usual areas and move 1-1.5 km away from them, going to rivers to drink.

Die-hard loners

Most species lead a solitary lifestyle. Each animal has its own individual area. Moles zealously defend their entire territory, or at least a significant part of it. This applies not only to males, but also to females, who are especially aggressive towards members of their own sex during the breeding season. Females and males meet only for a short time to procreate. After mating has occurred, the male disappears from the life of the female, taking no part either in arranging the nest for the offspring or in their upbringing.

Population densities vary by species and habitat. In spring, males significantly increase the size of their territories. In a mole population, there are usually from 5 to 30 individuals per 1 hectare.

Although neighboring animals each live in their own tunnel system, their territories still overlap to some extent. However, they try to avoid encounters with each other and feed in non-adjacent parts of their areas.

When a mole dies, the neighbors quickly notice its absence, and the most efficient one seizes the vacated territory. Sometimes a plot may be divided between neighbors.

Number and economic importance

Moles are ubiquitous and are not a protected species. This is one of the few insectivores that was important as a fur-bearing species. Since the 19th century durable, velvety moleskins were mined in large quantities. Currently, for economic reasons, the mole has almost no commercial significance.

Moles bring benefits by exterminating harmful insects and changing the structure of the soil - loosening it and enriching it with organic matter. Long-term digging activity of moles leads to improved soil; Excess moisture goes through molehills to lower soil horizons. At the same time, the mole is considered a pest of agriculture, gardening and horticulture. Digging its passages, it damages the roots of plants, thereby disrupting their normal nutrition and often causing death. Moles also destroy earthworms that are beneficial to the soil. They fight moles with a wide variety of methods, including using pungent odors (by placing chopped onions, garlic, rags soaked in kerosene, etc.) or sound signals (turntables, reeds, ultrasonic devices, etc.) in the mole passages.

Moles: benefits and harm

The common mole is of greatest economic importance. In the past, this animal was considered as an object of fur trade. Mole fur is beautiful and quite durable. It gained particular popularity at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when the harvesting of skins was carried out on such a massive scale that the species began to need protection. Record figures were achieved in 1928, when 20 million skins were mined worldwide. In the USSR, mole hunting was carried out until the 1980s. Today in Russia they are not mined, which has become one of the reasons for the increase in their numbers. In addition, mild winters and improved conditions for its reproduction and nutrition, which include the spread of well-groomed lawns and flower beds, and an increase in the number of greenhouses for growing plants, favor the growth of common mole populations.

By exterminating plant pests such as chafer larvae, click beetles, mole crickets and others, moles undoubtedly benefit agriculture and forestry. It is impossible not to note their contribution to the processes of soil formation: the animals loosen the soil and, thanks to their tunnels, the process of aeration occurs in the soil, which can save the area from becoming swampy.

However, we also have to deal with the negative consequences of the digging activity of these animals. Thus, numerous molehills reduce the productivity of pastures, lead to changes in plant communities, and damage to agricultural equipment during mechanized harvesting. Moles do not feed directly on plants, but when digging they can cause direct harm to them, pushing seedlings out of the ground or digging up roots, which, depending on weather conditions, leads to the plants getting wet, drying out, or freezing. The construction of burrows by moles sometimes leads to damage to drainage systems.

However, it is necessary to distinguish the harmful activities of moles from the harm caused by mouse-like rodents. First of all, you need to pay attention to the presence or absence of gnawed plants. If gnaws are found on plants, the culprits are mouse-like rodents. In rodents, burrows usually have open exits, while moles create molehills, which, as a rule, do not have an opening. Molehills are often confused with the soil discharges of the water vole, which switches to underground habitat in the fall. Invasion by a vole may be indicated by flattened outbursts, gnawed roots, or plant parts stored in burrows.

Reproduction and lifespan

Moles, in a sense, are hermits leading a solitary lifestyle. They pair up only during the rutting season, when they mate for a short period of time.

Mating of males and females occurs once a year - in early spring. However, there are exceptions, for example, in Belarus, females manage to give birth twice during the year.

Fertilized females bear offspring for 35-42 days. The average litter consists of 6 cubs, but sometimes up to 9 can be born. Only the female builds the nest for the brood. Babies are born completely naked and blind.

Intensive feeding of young animals continues for 5-8 weeks. Only the female provides food for the cubs; the male does not take any part in feeding and raising the offspring.

By about two months of age, young animals begin to show increased aggression towards their relatives. During this period, the cubs leave the parental nest, and each of them digs its own system of passages, moving on to an independent lifestyle.

Mass settlement of young moles occurs in July-August. This process takes place very quickly; within a day, a young mole can be 700 meters away from the birth nest. Young animals reach sexual maturity in 6-12 months. Next spring, the young are ready to mate and reproduce.

Attention! Moles in the natural environment, under normal living conditions, live from 4 to 6 years.

Nutrition

Females are caring mothers who carefully look after their cubs. Initially, mole babies feed on milk, quickly gain weight, and develop. In about a month, teeth grow, claws grow, the cubs switch to solid food - grain, seeds, roots, insects, earthworms.

At the age of 1.5-2 months, the cubs become independent and are capable of killing a mouse, frog, or snake. The matured young animals behave aggressively towards each other; after 60 days of their existence, each of them begins to build their own burrow with numerous labyrinths.

Baby's diet

Interesting!
During the day, the animal plows about 45 m of soil with its paws. Eats in one day an amount of food equal to its own weight. Constantly in search of food, makes numerous reserves. By the number of hillocks with a mound of soil above the ground, you can determine the trajectory of the burrow.

The baby mole feeds several times a day. Food is digested in approximately 5 hours. Between breaks in food, the animal sleeps in a special “room” curled up in a ball.

Basic diet:

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earthworms;
caterpillars;
woodlice;
May beetle larvae;
slugs;
snails;
mole crickets;
spiders;
centipedes.

Occasionally they eat vertebrates that are in a sedentary state - mice, lizards, snakes, frogs. In a hungry state, an animal can live no more than 17 hours.

Where do they live and what is their lifestyle?

Moles can settle in a summer cottage, but this is not their only habitat. In the wild, you can meet these animals in forest areas, as well as near places where people live:

in the meadows;
in the gardens;
on the territory of parks;
in other green spaces.

Moles prefer to dig holes in moist soil. If it is dry, it will make it difficult for them to dig tunnels. Therefore, they prefer to live in lowlands. Moles feed on earthworms, as well as other invertebrates that live in the soil. It feeds:

root vegetables;
grains;
eat parts of plants;
earthworms;
insect larvae;
centipedes, woodlice.

The largest portion of the diet of these animals consists of earthworms. This is explained by the fact that they are numerous and live everywhere. It can be argued that the mole, while moving through its underground passages, does not neglect any food that comes across its path.

Moles living in the forest feed not only on plants and insects living in the ground, but also on flies, wasps, ants, and insect larvae that they can find.

These animals also prey on mice or small snakes. Almost any creature that wanders into its hole can become its victim. The weight of food that one animal eats is equal to its own weight.

Reproduction

Reproduction occurs starting from March-April. Pregnancy is 40 days. One brood can contain up to 9 cubs.

The lifestyle of these animals is sedentary, but after their birth, young moles move up to 4 km from the place of birth. Their life expectancy is up to 5 years.

Lifespan

In the wild, a mole lives from 2 to 5 years. The maturation period is only 2 months. Animals have extremely few enemies underground, so almost all the cubs survive. Unlike mice, female moles give birth to only one litter per season; pregnancy lasts 10 days longer. This feature allows females to maintain their own health; the birth of babies does not deprive her of vitality. The life expectancy of females does not differ from that of males. Natural enemies of young and adult moles are cats, dogs, foxes, wolves, and hedgehogs.

Moles (Talpidae) are a family of insectivorous mammals of small and medium size. Many people, especially those who have garden plots, have observed traces of mole activity - heaps of earth (molehills), but perhaps few have seen the animals themselves.

Moles and man

Moles are not only unique, but also useful animals that are constantly engaged in destroying various plant pests, and also loosen the soil, due to which it is saturated with oxygen and becomes more fertile. Unfortunately, when the number of moles on a site begins to increase, their benefit begins to turn into harm, since they will dig up not only flower beds or beds, but also paths. In addition, the systematic destruction of earthworms by moles leads to the opposite effect, since soil fertility decreases. If a group of moles settles on a personal plot, then discomfort is guaranteed, since it is very unpleasant to find traces of the vital activity of moles on your plot every day, in the form of molehills, which are low tubercles of freshly dug earth.

Nowadays, there are many ways, including humane ones, that allow you to expel or prevent such animals from entering your area that can cause harm.

Many gardeners use traditional methods, which are the most gentle on animals. Specialists have also developed devices based on electronic components that generate ultrasound, which negatively affects the life of many animals, rodents, and moles. Due to the fact that the animals have a highly developed sense of smell, they cannot tolerate strong odors, as they disorient the animals. As a rule, animals try to leave the area of influence of such components, which create uncomfortable living conditions.

In addition to their sense of smell, moles have very acute hearing, so they can be disoriented by loud sounds or vibration. If loud noises are constantly present in the area, which is not difficult to organize, just take a few cans and secure them on a stick, sticking it into the ground. Under the influence of the wind, they will make not very pleasant sounds, which on a stick will be transmitted into the thickness of the earth. It is unlikely that moles will be able to stay in such an area for long. Although it must be taken into account that such sounds can disturb not only moles, but also neighbors, as well as their family members.

The most effective, although costly, method is the presence of mechanical obstacles dug into the ground along the perimeter of the site. To do this, you can use pieces of slate or metal gratings. They should be dug to a depth of 0.8 meters and no less. Apart from moles or rodents, such obstacles will not bother anyone else.

Star-nosed mole or star-nosed mole (National Geographic)

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Nutrition

Baby's diet.

Interesting!
During the day, the animal plows about 45 m of soil with its paws. Eats in one day an amount of food equal to its own weight. Constantly in search of food, makes numerous reserves. By the number of hillocks with a mound of soil above the ground, you can determine the trajectory of the burrow.

The baby mole feeds several times a day. Food is digested in approximately 5 hours. Between breaks in food, the animal sleeps in a special “room” curled up in a ball.

Basic diet:

earthworms;
caterpillars;
woodlice;
May beetle larvae;
slugs;
snails;
mole crickets;
spiders;
centipedes.

Occasionally they eat vertebrates that are in a sedentary state - mice, lizards, snakes, frogs. In a hungry state, an animal can live no more than 17 hours.

How to fight moles

In total, there are about four dozen varieties of moles on Earth. The most common and widely known of them is the common mole, which is also called the European mole. These animals, as you might guess, are found in Europe and are distributed all the way to Western Siberia. They usually weigh no more than 100 g and have a body length of up to 16 cm.

Among other members of the family, some deserve special mention.

1. The Japanese shrew mole is a small animal, only about 7 cm long. In some cases, it can be seen among the tall grass in the meadows and forests of the islands of Tsushima, Dogo, Shikoku and Honshu. The long proboscis of such creatures, located on the elongated muzzle, is equipped with sensitive tactile hairs.

The tail is of considerable size, fluffy, and quite often accumulates quite large reserves of fat. Sometimes it happens that such animals crawl to the surface of the earth in search of food and even climb low bushes and trees.

2. American shrew mole. Such animals are common in some states of Canada and the USA. Their fur is soft, thick, and can be black with a bluish tint or have a dark gray hue. Representatives of this species are similar in many ways to members of the species just described, so much so that some zoologists are inclined to consider them the closest relatives.

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Such creatures are approximately the same in size. In addition, the length of the body of American individuals is greatly complemented by a rather large tail. Such animals can also climb bushes and swim well.

3. Siberian mole, also called Altai mole. In many ways it is similar to European moles, however, its female and male representatives, unlike the latter, are significantly different in appearance. And above all in size.

These are quite large moles. Males from the Siberian variety can have a length of almost 20 cm and reach a weight of 145 g, females are much smaller. The fur of the animals has dark shades: brown, brown, black, gray-lead.

The body of such creatures is round, massive, and the legs are short. An oblong proboscis stands out on the narrowed muzzle. Such animals do not have ear shells at all.

4. Caucasian mole. It is also similar to individuals of the European variety, but individual elements of structure and appearance are very unique. Their eyes are even more underdeveloped than those of other moles. They are practically invisible and hidden under a thin layer of skin.

Juveniles of this species boast rich, shiny black fur. However, with age, its shades fade.

5. Mogera Ussuri is a very interesting species, the representatives of which are famous for their size, being, according to these indicators, record holders among all members of the mole family. The body weight of male specimens can reach 300 g or more, and the body size is about 210 mm.

Such animals are common in Korea and China. In Russian open spaces they are found in the Far East and in the regions adjacent to this region. The eyes and ears of such creatures are underdeveloped. Painted in brown tones with the addition of brown and gray tints, in some cases with a metallic tint. This species of living beings has been declared rare, and active measures are being taken to protect it.

6. The star-nosed mole is a North American resident, also called the star-nosed mole. The nose of such animals has a very unique, truly peculiar structure and consists of a large number of small tentacles equipped with many receptors.

All these devices are designed for successful search for food. Otherwise, such animals are similar to European moles in all details except for the unusually long tail. These creatures love water very much, swim beautifully and dive expertly.

These creatures belong to the order of insectivores, therefore, their diet corresponds to this. A soil animal, the mole mainly obtains food for itself in feeding passages, that is, underground tunnels dug by it, with the help of its nose, which perfectly distinguishes odors.

It eats slugs, beetle larvae, and earthworms. But these underground inhabitants also hunt when they come to the surface. There they catch beetles, ants, frogs, and small rodents. These animals, contrary to some unreliable rumors, do not consume plant food at all. The food metabolism of moles is quite intense, and they require approximately 150 g of animal food per day.

By the end of autumn, in preparation for the cold, such animals begin to make winter supplies for themselves, immobilizing their prey through a bite. Such pantries, usually located in close proximity to the nest, contain more than 2 kg of food.

Moles are insectivores; the basis of their diet are earthworms. They collect them in feeding passages, and the worms themselves crawl into these holes, attracted by the smell secreted by the mole.

The mole is a mammal that leads a 24-hour, year-round lifestyle. It feeds 3-4 times a day, eating about 20-30 grams of worms.

After feeding, the mole moves to the nesting hole and, curled up in a ball, goes to sleep for 3-5 hours, after which it again begins to search for food.

If an animal finds more worms than it can eat, the mole takes them to special storage places, a kind of storehouse, after first biting off their heads, and returns to eating them after waking up.

By making underground passages, the mole, for the most part, benefits nature by loosening the soil, but when it settles in areas cultivated by humans, it causes more harm.

In their gardens and summer cottages, people try to get rid of this animal, because with its digging it damages crops, harvesting, and especially spoils garden trees, exposing their roots.

Let's try to figure out how to deal with moles in the garden. From the above description of the animal, it is clear that this animal has a well-developed sense of smell and hearing, so in order to drive it out of the garden, you need to use this knowledge.

Firstly, we all live in a civilized world during the widespread development of electrical engineering and, based on this, modern companies producing various devices offer us the use of devices that will scare away various animals, including moles, from your garden with sound and ultrasound. .

This method is the simplest and will only require you to finance the purchase of such a device. But it is also quite possible to fight moles with folk remedies - the simplest is to use the moles’ sensitive sense of smell against themselves, namely, it is necessary to soak a rag with a strong-smelling agent, such as ammonia or mothballs, and put it in the molehill.

The smell will drive the mole away from this place. Another method to get rid of an annoying animal is a regular windmill with empty cans placed on it to create as much noise as possible.

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You can also stick metal rods into the ground to a depth of 0.5-1 meter and hang the same cans on them, which, under the influence of the wind, will knock on the rod, thereby creating a loud sound and vibration, which the mole does not like so much.

All the methods of fighting moles described above cannot guarantee that after some time these animals will not return to their original place.

Therefore, it is recommended, after you have driven this mammal out of your area, to create a mechanical obstacle to their penetration, namely, dig a chain-link mesh around the perimeter to a depth of 0.5-1 meter or build some other insurmountable barrier.

The mating season begins immediately after the snow melts. In the northern regions, the start of the rut occurs in the first third of May: 4-8. In the western and southern regions, rodent breeding begins much earlier: already from April 16-17.

Cold, early spring also affects the nature of the mating season: mating occurs later, which delays the appearance of the cubs and their settlement. During this period, the body of females is weakened, and they more often fall into traps. This allows farmers to quickly and effectively get rid of garden pests.

Moles spend most of their lives underground, which causes partial visual atrophy. Contrary to popular myth, moles are not blind: each species has eyes (it’s just that in some species, for example, moguera, they are covered with skin) that distinguish the degree of illumination and detect the movement of objects. Moles crawl to the surface of the earth infrequently: in search of a new home, food, or to mate.

At night, moles crawl out of their underground homes and go in search of a mate. Most often, in search of other moles, they “ask” for same-sex individuals: as a result of a fight, one of the rivals dies, and the other continues to search for a mate.

Having found a female, the mole, most often by force, drags her into its holes. A separate system of ornate passages in his home is designed precisely to hide the female from the encroachments of rivals. Often the female tries to escape by digging new tunnels from his hiding place. Having caught up with her, the winner returns the female to his home.

While most moles bear offspring once a year, some species, in particular the females of Mogera robusta, reproduce faster and bear offspring twice in 12 months. She gives birth to approximately 10-12 cubs per year.

The largest number of pregnant females is recorded in May. Pregnancy lasts on average 37-40 days: cubs are born between May and June. During one pregnancy, a female mole can give birth to 5-6 children. In summer, females are less fertile: one litter will contain no more than 4 individuals.

As soon as they begin independent life (July-August), the mother forcibly evicts them from the nest. From this moment, their settlement begins in nearby territories.

Females reach sexual maturity after a year (in some species after several months). In this case, adult females mate earlier than young ones. The main signs of an adult, sexually mature female who has given birth to at least 2 offspring: developed mammary glands, bald patches on the abdomen, around the nipples.