The small mounds of earth often seen on fields, gardens, and lawns are usually creations of the animals called moles. These small mammals live in burrows and spend much of their time in darkness. Although moles annoy gardeners and can damage plant roots, they are also useful because they ventilate the soil and eat the organisms that harm plants. Moles live in Europe, Asia, and North America.
The mole's head and round body measure about 3 to 9 inches (8 to 23 centimeters). The head is flat and pointed and the eyes are small. The eyes are sometimes covered with skin, leaving the mole blind. The ears are small openings hidden by fur, and the snout is long and piglike. The unique star-nosed mole of northeastern North America has 22 fleshy pink touch organs at the tip of the snout. Moles have short legs and a hairless, pink tail. The fur is dense and velvety.
The mole's front feet are shaped like spades and have five toes. Each toe has a long, sharp claw that is turned outward. These toes act as shovels in digging or as paddles for swimming.
Moles are active both day and night. Most spend their lives making tunnels. The mole “swims” through soil with a powerful breaststroke. It thrusts its feet forward and then out to the side, pushing back the soil. The snout and tail are sensitive organs of touch and help to guide it through the darkness.
Moles make two types of tunnels. Shallow tunnels leave ridges on the surface and disfigure lawns, gardens, and pastures. These tunnels are used for feeding and resting. Deep tunnels lead to shelter burrows about 10 feet (3 meters) underground. It is these deep tunnels that push up soil, creating the mounds of earth called molehills. Moles sometimes build nests at ground level under an object.
Moles usually eat earthworms or grubs, which they find by making regular tours of their complicated tunnel systems. Moles have large appetites. A mole may consume more than its weight in food daily. If worms are plentiful, moles often store them in underground chambers.
Moles generally reproduce once or twice a year. They can have from one to seven young at a time. The babies are blind and naked at birth. They grow a velvety covering of light gray fur by the time they are ten days old. They reach maturity in about six to 12 months, and their life span is short. Moles remain active all winter and do not hibernate.
