Mole - external features, habitat, nutrition, reproduction

Mole - what do we know about this animal? Some people have an opinion about the mole based on famous Czechoslovak cartoons, where he is so small, defenseless and good-natured, doing only good deeds. Others use the cartoon “Thumbelina”, where the “wealthy mole” is a kind of underground Gobsek, imposing, lazy, greedy... And I will not be mistaken if I say that 99% of people have never seen a living mole, and they think that this is some kind of underground mouse . Although almost all gardeners have seen the results of his work.

People who are far from gardening believe that the mole is a valuable fur-bearing animal, distributed throughout Belarus. From tanned mole skins (which, by the way, are stronger than rabbit and hare skins) you can make children's and adult fur coats, hats, collars, etc.

Moles are beneficial: they eat the larvae of agricultural pests - cockchafers, click beetles and others; By making passages underground, they loosen and mix the soil layers, and this increases the penetration of air and moisture into them and helps increase fertility.

Moles bring no less benefit in the forest. Thanks to the passages made by moles, seeds of deciduous trees that fall into the soil germinate earlier than any other vegetation. Thus, favorable conditions are created for the natural regeneration of the forest.

However, the owners of “six hundred square meters” know that the mole is attracted by the unusually generous food supply, which is based on the earthworm, the first producer of humus on the entire planet Earth. He (the mole) destroys our best assistant at a rate of 80 to 150 grams per day.

As you know, moles cause some damage to vegetable gardens, fields, meadows, forest and fruit nurseries. Without consuming plant food, but digging shallow from the soil surface, they disrupt the root system of plants. In addition, they dig up heaps of earth, which leads to littering of meadows and pastures and makes it difficult for machines to harvest hay. Mole holes are used by mouse-like rodents. What do they turn the lawn into? And what feelings does a gardener experience when he sees that his favorite plant, which has survived the harshest winters, is dying because a mole has undermined it?

Thus, the statement about the usefulness of the mole is, to put it mildly, “far-fetched.” It became clear to me that in order to properly organize the protection of your garden plot, you need to know where the mole lives, what it eats, how it reproduces, and what tools are required to catch it. So what should we know about the mole?

Mole. External features

The mole belongs to the class of mammals, the order of insectivores, and the mole family. There are 6 species of moles with 11 subspecies in the CIS. All types and subspecies of moles, generally similar to each other, differ in the size and structure of the teeth, skeleton and some features of their lifestyle.

The animal, widespread in Belarus, belongs to the species European mole, subspecies South Russian mole (Talpa earopaea brauneri Sattnin). The same mole inhabits Ukraine and Moldova.

The appearance of the mole (Fig. 1) is peculiar, which is associated with its underground lifestyle. A short, thick, cylindrical body, pointed at the front and rounded at the back, helps to move better along the passages.

Rice. 1. Common mole (adult animal on the surface of the ground)

Since the mole moves mainly using the front part of the body, it is much better developed than the back part. Its head is, as it were, pulled into its shoulders, so the external signs of the neck are not noticeable and the body turns into a cone-shaped head, ending in a small movable proboscis, on the sides of which there are sensitive hairs - vibrissae.

The mole's forelimbs are especially distinctive. Their feet are wide, spade-shaped, turned outward, have five toes, tightly pressed together, connected by membranes, with long flattened and strong claws up to 8-9 mm long. Bringing both front paws together, the mole digs the soil and pushes the earth to the sides of its underground home. The mole's hind limbs are small, weaker than the front ones, their fingers are without membranes and end in long sharp claws.

When eating and breaking through tunnels, the mole spreads its hind legs wide and rests them on the side walls of the underground canal. The mole has 44 teeth, the upper canines are well developed. Its eyes are the size of a pinhead, poorly developed or completely covered with skin. There are no auricles, although the auditory openings are covered by a fold, the animal’s hearing is well developed (this is facilitated by the high sound conductivity of the soil). He also has a very well developed sense of smell. Tactile hairs are scattered throughout the body, and the mole senses the presence of earthworms through a 60-centimeter layer of soil. A short tail (1.5–2 centimeters), covered with coarse hairs, also helps the sense of touch. Raising its tail up, the mole feels the ceiling of its movement. If the hairs stop touching the ground, the animal becomes alert and often returns along its paths. The main differences between individuals of different sexes: the average length of a male (from the tip of the proboscis to the root of the tail) is 120-190 millimeters, females - 110-150, weight - 95 and 75 grams, respectively.

Young (new) moles differ from adults, in addition to size and weight, in the silvery tint of their skin. By autumn these differences are almost invisible. It is easier to distinguish young moles from old ones by their gray-black fore and hind legs (the legs become lighter over time), as well as by their pointed teeth (in adults they are more or less worn out).

Mole Spread

A mole is a mammal of the order of insectivores. The habitat of the common mole is very widespread . It can be found in almost all regions of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus.

It lives in dry meadows, forests with deciduous shrubs and birch trees. most often found on forest edges , slopes of railway tracks, thawed areas, clearings, forest clearings and roads that are well lit by the sun .

It can cause irreparable damage to a garden in a country house, garden, greenhouses, parks, and arable land with cereal crops. The mole does not like continuous forest plantings of coniferous trees, hills with sandy soil, swampy areas, and floodplain meadows. Does not like soil on which shrubs or trees with a powerful root system . It prefers humus black soil with moderate humidity .

In such soil you can find insects, larvae and worms. The chosen location depends on the temperature factor. The stronger the temperature changes , the closer the animal gets to the forest. Moving from the lowlands to the top, moles find the most favorable and sun-warmed habitats.

Places where moles live

Moles like to inhabit the following places:

meadows;
forest clearings;
birch forests and copses;
areas near roads;
parks within the city;
garden and vegetable plots.

Molehills are often found where the soil is enriched with humus, populated by worms, arthropod larvae, and heated by the sun. Soil moisture is also of great importance; it should have average values.

Traces of moles are unlikely to be found in the following places:

dense forest;
Pinery;
swampy places;
places where plants with strong roots grow.

The mole’s choice of place to live also depends on the annual amount of precipitation and soil temperature. If the climate in the area is not stable, moles move closer to the forest, where the depth of soil freezing in winter is less, and in summer moisture in the soil is better retained.

The mole will constantly change its location until it finds comfortable living conditions for itself.

Description of moles

The mole is a small soil animal that belongs to the family of mammals. The name "mole" means "digger". They can live in the forest, field, meadow and steppe. The animal lives only in dark places, so its eyes are underdeveloped. But sometimes there are some individuals whose visual organs are able to distinguish darkness from light. The idea of calling the mole a soil animal came to people when they began to find molehills. This is the name given to piles of soil on the surface of the earth, observing which people discovered a mole. While studying this animal, people determined that it lacked vision. Sense organs such as smell, touch and hearing are quite well developed. The animal's ears are located inside.

Moles come in different sizes. Their body length ranges from five to twenty-one centimeters. Weight varies from nine to one hundred and seventy grams. The body is elongated, covered with thick, even fur. Their velvety coat has a peculiarity - a straight-growing pile that is not oriented to any particular side. It has a uniform color of black, black-brown or dark gray, depending on the time of year, species and habitat.

Moles molt three times a year - from spring to autumn. Moles have short limbs. The front paws are wide, shovel-shaped, powerful and with strong claws. The forelimbs are much more developed than the hind limbs. The body ends with a short tail.
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The head has a conical shape, there are no ears. The nose is slightly elongated and resembles a trunk. The neck is almost invisible. The eyes are undeveloped; the eyeballs do not have a lens or retina. Very small eye sockets are closed by movable eyelids. There are types of moles whose eyes are covered with skin. Nature has endowed moles with excellent hearing, touch and smell. Their skull is long and conical. The zygomatic arches are very thin. The number of teeth ranges from thirty-three to forty-four. The humerus is strong and wide. Narrow and long pelvic bones.

Differences from other mammals

Some people are sure that moles and rodents are the same thing. However, this judgment is far from the truth. Moles have many differences from other rodents:

Moles are not endowed with such powerful jaws as are characteristic of rodents, so they live where the soil is very loose. It's easy to make long passes with your paws.
Rare rodents can swim, and the mole is an excellent swimmer. It will not be difficult for him to swim across a medium-width river.
These shrews are completely unsuited for life on earth. When they accidentally land on the surface, their behavior seems clumsy, since they have almost no vision and are unable to adequately perceive the environment. On the ground they can only move by crawling.
Moles are endowed with weak vision, designed to be able to distinguish light from dark. Therefore, with such characteristics, a mole ideally lives only underground.

The following characteristic features distinguish moles from small rodents:

shortened black fur that is shiny;
an elongated proboscis in the head, with nostrils at the bottom;
rather large and widely spaced forelimbs of a spatulate type, the back of which faces upward;
the hind legs are not large, they are poorly developed;
small, visually impaired eyes;
the length of the mole varies from 11 to 21 cm, and the body weight can be about 60-150 grams;
shortened tail.

Types of moles

Today there are forty species of moles. Here are some of them:

Common mole (European) . The length of its body is from twelve to sixteen centimeters. Weight from fifty-five to ninety grams. The tail is short, from two to four centimeters. The eyes are very small, there are narrow slits, the eyelids are motionless. The fur is black, but has a light shade underneath. Color can vary from black-brown and black-gray to black. Juveniles have lighter fur than adults. Once a year, offspring appear. Moles of this species live in the forests and meadows of Europe, in the European part of Russia, in the Urals, the Caucasus and Western Siberia.

Blind Mole . One of the smallest representatives of the species. Its body is only eight to twelve centimeters long, and its tail is two to three centimeters long. Weight reaches no more than thirty grams. The eyes are hidden under the skin. It feeds on insects and their larvae. Very rarely consumes earthworms. It breeds in early spring, before the snow begins to melt. Blind moles live in the mountainous regions of Turkey, the Caucasus and Northern Iran.

Long-tailed mole . A small animal up to nine centimeters long. The tail measures four and a half centimeters. Has hard fur. They don't dig deep. They live in the highland coniferous forests of Northern Vietnam, Southern China and Northern Myanmar.
Caucasian mole . Medium sized animal. Body length is from ten to fourteen centimeters. Weight from forty to ninety-five grams, tail length from two and a half to three centimeters. After molting, the bright black fur turns brown. The eyes are located under the skin. The moves are small, from five to twenty centimeters in depth. It feeds mainly on earthworms and very rarely on insects. Bears offspring once a year. It lives in the central and southern parts of the Ciscaucasia, Transcaucasia and the Greater Caucasus.
Siberian mole . Externally it is similar to the European one, but larger in size. The body length of males is from thirteen and a half centimeters to nineteen. They weigh from seventy-five to two hundred twenty-five grams. Females have a body length of one hundred twenty-eight to one hundred seventy-one millimeters and weigh from seventy to one hundred and forty-five grams. The tail of the animals is short, from seventeen to thirty-six millimeters in length. The eyes have movable lids. The fur is dark brown and black. You can find albinos, red, spotted and yellow individuals. They feed on earthworms and insect larvae. The Siberian mole differs from other species in that their gestation period is nine months. They mate in the summer, but the embryos freeze until spring. The offspring are born between the end of April and the end of May.

Japanese shrew mole . The body measures from eight to ten centimeters. The tail has hair and a tassel at the tip, its length is three centimeters. The fur is not velvety, but soft and thick, black-brown or black. In winter it can nest in birds' nests. It reproduces once a year. It lives on those mountain slopes that are not inhabited by forest on the southern islands of Japan.
Japanese mogera . Body length is from twelve to fifteen centimeters. It has a short tail, which is no more than two and a half centimeters. Weighs from ninety-five to two hundred and ten grams. The coat is black, brown or gray on the back and sides. On the belly it has fur of lighter shades. It feeds on insect larvae, but sometimes dilutes the diet with earthworms. The passages are built on two levels: fifty to seventy centimeters and at a depth of one to one and a half meters. They live in the south of Primorsky Krai, in the southwest of the Japanese archipelago.
Star-Bearer . Its body is from nineteen to twenty-one centimeters long. The tail is long, reaches eight centimeters in length, scaly, covered with hairs. It gets thicker in winter. The star-nosed fish has no ears, its eyes are small, but not hidden under the skin. The fur is dark brown or black, thick. A distinctive feature of this species is its star-shaped stigma, which consists of twenty-two fleshy skin appendages. They are the ones who help the mole find food. The two tentacles, which are located in the middle at the top, are directed upward and do not bend. All others are movable. This type of mole is an excellent swimmer and can dive even under ice. In water it feeds on fish, on land on mollusks and earthworms. The starfish can move both on the ground and in the snow. They live in forests and meadows, near swamps and along the banks of streams, and love moist soil. They live in the southeastern states of the United States and parts of Canada.

More about mole labyrinths

When exploring a new plot, moles have to get out into the fresh air. Even for one animal, a large area is occupied by moves. They come in two types. The first ones are called residential. They lie at a depth of 6 to 90 cm and have a radius of 2.5 cm. The animal moves through these holes to the feeding site or watering hole. Other moves are needed specifically for obtaining food. Animals usually lay them in the upper soil layers, where the soil is not too dense. In addition, this is where worms and larvae live - the main food of moles.

Sometimes traces of these passages are visible even on the surface of the earth. They appear as soil ridges of great length, formed by swollen arches of passages. This happens if an animal makes a tunnel for itself next to the ground surface, and its arches cannot withstand the pressure of the animal.

When making new passages, the mole focuses on its hind limbs and digs the ground with its front limbs. They alternately penetrate the ground and move laterally and backwards. After this, the animal tamps the soil with its strong head, pressing it against the running walls.

If a hole is dug at a depth of 10 cm or more, then the animal does not lift the arch with its head. He has to throw the excavated soil outside. As a result, molehills appear - earthen heaps. They are usually small, no more than 15–25 cm in height. Their diameter is also small, but in some cases it reaches a size of a meter.

Character and lifestyle

Moles are very grumpy animals and do not get along well with each other. They live alone, but can unite in pairs to produce offspring. Little moles are affectionate with each other, but as they mature, the males begin to fight. Adults are not able to get along together. Moles are capable of biting and eating their relatives. Due to their uncooperative nature, young moles actively develop territory for their residence.

When one of them dies, the others immediately notice it and take over the tunnel system mastered by the other animal. Moles help mark their territory by secreting a special secretion that accumulates on their belly fur. The animal must regularly mark its possessions so that other animals understand that this territory is not empty.

The entire life of moles passes underground at different depths. Rotating around the axis of their body, they dig the ground with large shovel-shaped inverted paws. If the soil is moist, soft and loose, then the mole breaks through passages from two to five centimeters from the surface of the earth. If the ground is dry, then he will dig passages at a depth of ten to fifty centimeters. Females make their nests at a depth of one and a half to two meters. They often choose a place under stumps, tree roots and stones. The depression above the nest is the highest and reaches eighty centimeters in height. A nest is a small depression lined with grass.

The mole constantly moves around its area in search of a suitable place to live . In the spring, when the snow begins to melt, the animals move to the surface, and in the summer, when the soil dries out, they go down to live in the lowlands. Moles live their entire lives within their area. In hot weather, animals move short distances from their territory, closer to the river for drinking.

A mole can run through its underground passages head first, but also with its tail at the same speed. The special hair growth helps him in this.

Moles can sleep several times a day for two to three hours. In winter, instead of hibernating, they move through very deep, non-freezing layers of soil. The life of moles is not always safe. When throwing out excess soil on the surface of the earth, they can be grabbed by birds of prey or foxes. Such cases are rare, but they do happen.

The lifespan of a mole depends on many factors. The cause of their death is disease and predators. Ticks infect moles with a dangerous disease called piroplasmosis. The main enemies are martens and weasels.

What kind of life do they lead?

Moles are almost always underground. All individuals are equally active both at night and during the day. Over the course of a day, animals experience several three- to four-hour stages of increased mobility, and in the intervals between them the animals rest in their nests.

Moles are characterized by a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. Only sometimes, in hot weather and drought, do they move approximately 1–1.5 km from their habitats in search of water.

Moles are loners. They live in their own individual plot, which they bravely defend from enemies to the best of their ability. Each of them has its own tunnel system, but sometimes they overlap. The animals still try not to collide with each other and get food in various secluded corners.

If a mole dies, the neighbors quickly notice it, and the fastest one wins the free area. Sometimes it is shared by several animals.

Having captured a certain territory, moles mark the tunnels laid there with a powerfully smelling secretion secreted by the preputial glands. Both males and females have this smell. If this “aroma” is not present, other individuals will conquer the area.

Molting of moles

The periodic change of fur, molting, in moles occurs not 2 times - in spring and autumn, as in many animals, but 3 or even 4 times, since moles molt in the summer. This is due to the fact that with constant movement through narrow passages, the animal’s fur quickly wears off. It turns out that the mole sheds completely or partially almost all the time, except in winter. In faded areas, the skin darkens and thickens three times, but the hair in this area is weaker and is quickly wiped off.

The mammal's first molt occurs from April to June. Females molt first, and then males. Worn winter fur is replaced with new spring fur. In mid-July, the adults, followed by the young (for the first time in the young), undergo summer molting. Following it, almost without interruption, the autumn molt begins, at the end of which the moles acquire their best appearance. The mole's autumn fur is velvety, shiny, black with a silvery touch, very thick and tall.

general characteristics

In the natural environment, there are several varieties of moles. The smallest representative of the species is the Sichuan shrew mole, its body length rarely exceeds 6–8 cm, its tail is from 5 to 6.5 cm, and the body weight of a mature individual is only 10–15 g. The largest mole is the Ussuri moger, length the body of a mature individual is from 20 cm, and the weight can reach up to 300 g. All moles, without exception, have characteristic features that help them survive underground.

Moles have a short, bar-shaped body, rounded at the sides.

The neck is not pronounced and seems to be a continuation of the body. If you look at the mole from above, it seems that the head grows straight from the shoulders. The shape of the head is cone-shaped, wider at the back of the head with a well-defined narrowing towards the nose.

The animals' ears are vestigial without an auricle. The location of the ear canals is determined by the presence of a skin ridge. In some varieties, the kalik is almost invisible under a layer of wool. The nose of moles is narrow and protrudes strongly above the lower lip; it is mobile and sensitive. The nostrils are wide, located on the sides, but directed forward.

Usually the mole's nose is not covered with hairs, with the exception of long, sensitive whiskers.

Unlike other varieties, the nose of the star-nosed mole ends not with an ordinary lobe, but with unique star-shaped skin outgrowths. They are soft, sensitive and similar to earthworms, the number of outgrowths is about 22 pieces.

Underground life has left its mark on animals. The moles' eyes have lost their intended purpose and are almost completely hidden under the skin. In some species, such as Caucasian moles, the eyeballs can only be seen on an x-ray. In others, the size of the eyes does not exceed the diameter of a poppy seed. Sometimes the eyes are equipped with a regular eyelid, which protects them from dust and soil. But some varieties have small slits in the skin opposite the eyes.

Elena

Ask a Question

Question to the expert

How do moles navigate underground?

Moles cannot see, but they have a well-developed sense of smell and hearing. They are able to smell or hear prey under a thick layer of earth. Animals also navigate thanks to sensitive vibrissae on the nose and tail.

Moles are quite toothy creatures, depending on the species they have maybe 34 to 44 well-developed, sharp teeth. They help hold nimble prey and chew food.

Subterranean mammals communicate with each other using various sounds. They may squeak, hiss or squeal.

Moles have strong and well-developed forelimbs with five-toed paws.

Each toe has a thick, blunt claw designed for digging. The claw is slightly curved outward, and on the inside there is a small depression that allows you to better grip the ground when digging tunnels.

There are no membranes between the fingers, but the hands are wide, spade-shaped and with the palms turned outward.

Under the ground, moles can move forward with their heads or tails. Moreover, the speed in both cases is the same. The fur on the animal's body is located in such a way that it does not interfere with movement. The wool easily bends in the desired direction.

The hind limbs are long, thin and somewhat reminiscent of rat paws in structure. The hind legs have claws, but they are much smaller than the front ones. The tail of moles is quite long, from 2 to 10 cm, its size depends on the type of animal.

Moles are very good swimmers. During a flood, small animals are able to swim across even a strong stream or a small river.

The entire body of animals is covered with soft, dense fur.

The wool grows perpendicularly and has special constrictions in the core. This allows the hairs to bend in any direction and makes it easier for the animal to move underground. Surprisingly, the fur of moles practically does not get dirty; fine debris and dust do not penetrate deeply, but settle at the very ends of the hairs. Therefore, it is enough for the mole to shake itself to clear the soil from its coat.

The color of the coat depends on the type of animal and its habitat. In the natural environment you can find black, dark brown, gray, dark red moles with different shades of fur.

Molting among underground inhabitants occurs 3–4 times a year.

Moles can shed both in the off-season and in the summer. This feature is due to the fact that animal fur quickly wears off from contact with rough surfaces. That is, in fact, the mole constantly renews its fur coat and only in winter does molting not have a pronounced character. Areas of skin where there is no hair become dense and darken. The remaining hairs are quickly wiped off, and new ones grow in their place.

The first molt of moles begins from April to June. Usually the females molt first, followed by the males. The second molt occurs already in July, in adults the spring coat changes to summer, and in young animals the baby coat comes off and an “adult” coat grows. The third autumn moult begins almost without interval; it is well expressed and occurs very quickly. The thin summer coat changes to a thick winter coat. During this period, animal fur is considered the most beautiful; it shines, shimmers, and becomes velvety to the touch.

Question to the expert

Is it possible to have a mole as a pet?

Moles cannot live in captivity. It is important to consider that the animal spends most of its life underground. Therefore, only professionals can provide an unusual pet with comfortable conditions.

Nutrition

The diet of the vast majority of moles consists of earthworms. In second place are insects living in the ground and their larvae, such as wireworms (larvae of click beetles), weevils, mole crickets, beetle larvae (including the May beetle) and flies, and cutworm caterpillars. Many moles eat slugs. Starfish eat aquatic inhabitants: small crustaceans, aquatic insects and fish. Mogers include caterpillars of various species of butterflies in their diet. Scapanus moles and American shrew-moles partly consume plant foods.

Moles feed 5-6 times a day. After each meal, the animal tucks its head and hind legs under its abdomen, taking the shape of a fluffy ball, and falls asleep for about 4 hours. It is during this period of time that food is digested. At one time, an animal can eat about 20-22 g of earthworms, and 50-60 g per day. The mole eats whole or torn worms, starting from the end. Using the teeth and toes of his front paws, he squeezes the soil out of them. Moles are capable of fasting for a maximum of 14 to 17 hours. In summer they eat more food than in winter.

Sometimes moles store food for periods of starvation. From 100 to 1000 earthworms can be collected in underground mole tunnels. Moles immobilize them with a bite to the head, and the worms remain alive for some time.

To search for earthworms, moles do not dig new tunnels every time. They find food in previously made tunnels. The worms themselves crawl into them, attracted by the warmth and smell of the musk secreted by the mole. In winter, earthworms are just as active as in summer. They are able to make moves in frozen ground, crawling to the surface. Moles hunt for them, digging tunnels under the snow.

What does a mole's diet consist of?

The main mole food is earthworms. Worms, attracted by the smell of a special secretion secreted by moles, themselves penetrate into the labyrinths of the animal’s feeding passages. The mole is busy searching for food 24 hours a day throughout the year. The animal feeds 3 to 5 times a day, eating from 25 to 45 g of food per day.

Having had enough, the animal retires to the sleeping area and sleeps there for 3-5 hours, curled up in a ball. When sleep passes, the animal again rushes in search of food. If the mole finds more worms than he can eat, he deprives them of the head part and drags them into special storage rooms. He starts eating them when he wakes up again.

It is curious that moles do not eat food of plant origin. Plant fibers can sometimes enter the animal’s stomach completely by accident, for example, when eating worms that had fibers in their stomach. The mole body is not able to digest plant fibers; they leave the body undigested.

When food becomes insufficient, the mole begins to dig new tunnels, expanding its hunting territory. If the usual food becomes insufficient, moles begin to eat frogs, small vertebrates and even rats.

The animal spends a lot of energy digging tunnels. To restore the balance of energy, the mole needs to eat a lot. On some days, a mole can eat a mass of food that exceeds its weight.

This animal has a very good metabolism; it can digest 50 g of food within 35 minutes, despite the fact that only 20 grams fit in its stomach. 4 hours after eating, the mole feels hungry again.

Moles also constantly need water for drinking. Therefore, they equip their passage system not far from water sources.

Reproduction

Moles breed once a year. The gestation period for the young varies from species to species. In the Siberian mole there is a period when the embryo stops developing for some time.

The breeding season for “Russian” moles is different:

The European mate in March-April. The female bears offspring after 35–40 days. The cubs are blind and naked. There are 3–9 moles in a litter, weighing 2–3 g. The female gives birth once a year. Only a fifth of adult moles can produce a second litter in the summer. At 1.5 months the young animals leave the family.
The Siberian mate mates in June, but the female gives birth the following year in April–May, since the Altai species has diapause and a total pregnancy of the mole lasts 270 days. There are 3–6 cubs in a litter. In June, young animals consider themselves adults and leave the nest. But sexual maturity in females occurs only after a year, in males after two.
The blind mate in February–March while still under the snow. The mole bears offspring for 30 days. There are from 1 to 5 cubs in a litter. These animals grow to the size of an adult within a month, after which they leave the nest.
The Caucasian also mates in February. The female brings moles in March. There are 1–3 cubs in a litter. After 40 days they become independent.

With such a small number of young and breeding only once a year, the number of moles in an area can increase very quickly. Since the mole gives birth deep underground, her offspring are not threatened by any predators and all the cubs remain alive.

But how long a mole representative lives depends on its species. The lifespan of the common mole is 4–5 years, the Altai mole is 5 years, the blind mole is 3–4 years, and the Caucasian mole is 5 years.

Basic manufacturing methods

Inventive summer residents have come up with a large number of ways to quickly build devices from improvised and even completely unnecessary things. Among them, there are several simple and quite effective options for combating moles.

Pinwheel made from a plastic bottle

The device looks like a kind of weather vane, which, when exposed to wind, produces a sound that is unpleasant for moles. It can work in any conditions.

To make a windmill, you will need a number of simple steps:

take a standard 1.5 liter plastic bottle;
Use sharp scissors to carefully cut off the bottom;
turn it upside down and draw lines for cuts with a marker.

There are five sections on the bottom. It is necessary to mark the areas from the edge of the circle to the middle parts of each ray. Cut out the selected areas. After this, making a do-it-yourself mole trap from plastic bottles will be almost complete.

In the center you need to punch a hole with smooth edges. Insert a self-tapping screw into the center of the lid and screw it in until it stops.

For a more rigid fixation, it is advisable to use a nut of suitable diameter.

On the neck of the bottle, along the middle line, make two holes for the nail opposite each other. After this, secure the windmill to a pole and stick it into the ground.

Tin repellers

These include simple devices such as a piece of reinforcement with a suspended beer can, for example. Surfaces hitting each other under the influence of gusts of wind will produce loud sounds that are unpleasant for moles. The result of the manufacturing scheme is presented below.

An additional advantage is that metal reinforcement will conduct sound into the ground to a greater depth. As a result, the moles will leave the developed territory.

In the form of an airplane

Instructions on how to make an airplane-shaped mole repeller from a plastic bottle step by step:

to make the hash brown, a metal pipe of medium diameter is dug into the ground;
a separate pin will need to be tightly attached to the top of the site;
make several cuts in the form of blades on the bottle;
make holes at the bottom of the container with a hot nail;
Place the bottle on the installed pin.

When exposed to wind, the blades will begin to rotate. The vibrations of the windmill will be directed towards the soil and scare away moles.

From several

To increase efficiency, it is recommended to install several turntables at once. The soil, especially dry soil, quickly muffles sounds. Installing individual elements will provide a much more active effect in repelling moles.

Method No. 5

To make another option, you will need a stick, garden shears and a plastic bottle. Further like this:

in the walls you need to make wide cuts along the walls;
they will require 2 additional cuts in a perpendicular direction at the top and bottom;
after bending individual sections, you will get unique blades;
the assembled mechanism must be put on the support, after which the device will become ready for action.

Under the influence of wind, parts of the system will begin to rotate. This will create an unpleasant sound that can rid the area of mole settlements.

Method number 6

To make a mole repeller with your own hands from a plastic bottle, you will need an additional plate cut from another bottle. Make 15 cm long slits in a solid bottle. Blades for a propeller of approximately the same size are made from a separate part.

Then they are stuck into the prepared holes to form a fan. You will need to make an additional puncture in the lid for the metal rods. After this, attach the structure to the stick. When rotating, the homemade product will make a peculiar noise to scare off moles.

Natural enemies

Moles don't have many enemies. A specific smell saves them from predators. Sometimes they can still be caught by birds of prey. This happens during spring floods. The animals' enemies are martens, wild boars, badgers, foxes, and raccoon dogs.

The only predator that is the main enemy of the mole is the weasel. She happily sneaks into their passages and catches them. The weasel does not even disdain the musky smell of a mole, which other animals do not like so much.

During the rutting period, the weasel makes a sound that moles always recognize and, sensing danger, run away. Droughts and waterlogging can kill moles. People are also the cause of the death of these animals, as they are capable of killing them either accidentally or intentionally.

How to fight moles

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 mole, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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Population and species status

Most moles are inveterate loners . Each animal has its own area. Males and females defend their entire territory very zealously. They unite only for a short period of time to continue the family line. After mating, the male no longer participates in the life of the female and his children.

Population densities vary by habitat and species. Males begin to greatly increase the size of their territories in the spring. In the mole population, there are from five to thirty individuals per hectare of land.

The common mole is of great importance in the economy. Previously, this animal was considered as an object of fur trade. After gaining popularity, the species began to need protection. Today, there is no hunting for moles in Russia, which has led to an increase in their numbers. The growth of the common mole population is favorably influenced by warm winters and good conditions for its reproduction and feeding.

Habitat

Moles live almost all over the world, with the exception of those areas where the ground is unsuitable for digging and cold areas where the soil freezes to great depths. Representatives of the underground world can be found in Europe and Asia. On the Asian part of the mainland, animals are found in the Caucasus, Turkey, China, Mongolia and Indochina. The only exceptions are the southern regions. On the American continents, mole populations are found in southeastern Canada, Mexico, and almost all central and eastern regions.

Mole populations are found only in areas suitable for their existence.

Animals prefer loose soils. They never settle in wetlands. The main condition is the availability of food supply; the more food, the more animals can gather in one area. Populations usually inhabit clearings, forest edges, non-water meadows and agricultural fields.

Economic importance of moles

Moles are mammals that have beautiful velvety fur. Their skins, although small, are durable and suitable for making outerwear. Mole coats are not the warmest, but wearable and beautiful. Their cost is high. From the 20s to the 80s of the 20th century, mole fishing existed in the Soviet Union. In fur procurement, the mole took 6th place in the country, and in some regions - first, for example, in the Urals and in the middle regions of the European part of the country. Mole skins were harvested in large quantities in the North-Western region. Currently, this fishery has lost its economic importance and continues only in small quantities.

The benefits and harms of moles

Many people believe that moles eat plants or gnaw their roots. This opinion is wrong. These animals, on the contrary, are beneficial because they destroy harmful insects, their pupae and larvae, as well as slugs, which feed on leaves, stems and flowers. The mole eats pests such as wireworms, cockchafers and mole crickets. In addition, moles loosen the soil, creating a drainage system, which is also useful for the garden. But if moles multiply on the site, then the benefit will turn into harm. In large numbers, these animals can cause significant damage to an agricultural area. They tear up flower beds, lawns, paths and undermine plant roots. In addition, their main food is earthworms, which are very useful for soil formation.

What do they eat?

The menu mostly consists of invertebrates. They obtain about 90% of their food in feeding passages (tunnels). Moles are omnivores and can eat any food available to them on the site, but most of all they prefer beetle larvae, earthworms and slugs.

In the first half of autumn, the mole stores food supplies near its home. They usually consist of worms, which the animal immobilizes with a bite. The volume of such “preservation” in some cases reaches 2 kg.

Mole traps

You can make mole traps with your own hands, but it is better to purchase them in a store to avoid injury when working with metal parts.

Traps and traps are based on different operating principles of their mechanisms:

Traps that act like spring mousetraps , that is, they crush the victim and break the vertebrae. This device is not inferior in efficiency to others, the only difficulty lies in its installation. These mole traps are placed in twos, in different directions. They need to be installed and masked so that the pressing part does not cling to the arch of the stroke when the mechanism is activated.
A plunger or harpoon trap is quite easily installed on top of the passage. When a mole touches a guardhouse located in a tunnel, sharp spokes pierce the ground and pierce the animal.
The scissor trap squeezes the animal from the sides, acting on the principle of scissors. To install, a molehill is dug up, the trap is placed at the bottom of the passage and covered with earth.
A loop trap is a wire trap for a mole in the form of a loop, which is placed inside the mole passage. When triggered, the mechanism strangles the animal in the loop as it crawls through it.

There are various versions of the above traps in more or less expensive versions, and there are even more homemade traps. But we must take into account that not every person is capable of killing a mole, especially in such a barbaric way.

Live traps or tunnel traps . If you want to get rid of moles in your dacha in a simple way, but without destroying the animal, you can use other devices - live traps, which help catch the mole. You can make them yourself using cans, plastic bottles and other cylindrical objects, or purchase them at the store. The principle of a live trap is that, once inside the body, the animal cannot get out, since the holes are closed with valves that do not have a reverse action. The animal remains alive and just needs to be taken away from its area and released. Such traps need to be checked regularly so that the mole inside does not die of starvation.

Moles often dig tunnels through which they reach their prey only once. To install mole traps, you need to determine which passages the animals use repeatedly, otherwise your efforts will be wasted and you won’t be able to catch the mole. These passages are deeper, and the ground in them is more compacted.

Interesting Facts

Despite their “banality” and familiarity, moles are a unique family that is interesting to both scientists and ordinary people.

People may not know everything about moles, but they have collected a number of facts about them:

In construction, the mole uses not only its paws, but also its nose.
In one minute the animal digs up to 30 cm of soil.
Sometimes moles eat their dead or weakened relatives.
The speed of movement of the animal through the tunnel is 25 m/s.
There is a bone in the reproductive organ of male moles.
Moles are not actually blind; their eyes are simply covered with skin to prevent dirt from falling into them.
Moles, along with snakes, are never found in Ireland.
Even if the animal is moved to another place, it somehow still finds its way home.
The average length of a mole hole is 200 meters.
Ordinary moles are not found in Australia, and their ecological niche is occupied by marsupial moles - animals with orange fur.
If you start feeding the animal artificially, it will stop moving and will soon die from obesity.
Golden moles (golden moles) living in South Africa are not moles.

The mole is a very peculiar animal that brings both harm and benefit to agriculture. Its lifestyle is typical for an underground animal, although it has its own characteristics. There are more than 40 species in the Mole family, many of which are found in Russia.

Poison for moles

Another remedy for moles in the country is poison. But this method of getting rid of animals is not only inhumane, but also unsafe for humans and their environment. Under no circumstances should poisons be used in areas where children play! The poison may accidentally come into contact with the skin and cause harm to health. Pets can also accidentally ingest poison. In addition, toxic substances can be destructive for plants in a summer cottage, which will cause irreparable damage to the plantings.

Fighting moles with water. Fighting moles on a site by flooding their holes is an old and not very effective method. An abundance of moisture, which the animal does not like, is not good for plants either. You will have to pour too much water, but the animals will still return to the area after it dries out.
Catching moles with dogs and cats. Setting dogs on small animals is a somewhat exotic and ineffective method that will not help the mass expulsion of moles.
Noise installations, or noisemakers (turntables made from tin cans, rattles, empty bottles buried in the ground). The fact is that garden moles really do not like various noises and vibrations. Based on this, all sorts of devices that make sounds have been invented.

You can make them yourself:

A pinwheel is made from plastic bottles by cutting holes in it and bending it into blades. It is mounted on a metal pin, which is stuck into the ground to a depth of about 20 cm and transmits the sound of a rattling bottle into it,
you can also put a tin can on the pin, which will rattle when the wind blows and transmit noise to the ground along the metal pin on which it is located,
a glass bottle is buried in the ground at an angle to use the howling wind against moles,
some even bury jars with alarm clocks set or scatter plastic bottles around the area that rattle when they touch,
Loud music, lawn mowers and other farm implements will also repel moles.

Ultrasonic mole repeller.

Ultrasonic repellers, conventional or solar-powered, are devices that produce sounds inaudible to the human ear and produce vibrations in the soil. These are very effective and efficient mole repellents that produce results some time after their installation. Unlike noise devices, they do not irritate people with sounds, look aesthetically pleasing and are easy to use. You just need to stick them into the ground and turn them on. The range of action of good electronic repellers reaches 15-25 meters. In addition, they help remove not only moles from the dacha, but also mice and rats.

Flavors.

You can put special tablets or anti-mole balls flavored with essential oils into mole passages. It is believed that animals are repelled by garlic, hemp, herring heads, rags or tow soaked in kerosene, tar, solvent and other strong-smelling technical liquids. Such “tags” need to be placed in different parts of the area so that the mole is guaranteed to stumble upon them. Technical fluids are not the best remedy, given the fact that there are various plantings on the summer cottage. But balls with essential oils do not contain toxic substances at all, are harmless to insects and last quite a long time. True, after heavy rain they lose their properties.

Plants from moles.

Another folk remedy for moles in the country is to scare away the animals with the unpleasant aroma of certain plants. Moles do not like the smell of plants such as legumes (beans, peas, broad beans), marigolds, narcissus, Siberian bluegrass, imperial hazel grouse, spurge, castor beans, lavender, calendula, black root, kozelets, garlic, onions (onions, leeks, shallots, chives, decorative alliums).

Video

Difference between mole rat and shrew

Unlike the mole rat (aka horsefly or blind man), the mole is a predatory animal.

10 best remedies for moles and shrews in a summer cottage

The mole rat is a rodent that consumes only real plant food. Its menu includes:

wheatgrass;
oak and maple seedlings;
juzgun;
sagebrush;
acorns;
we're rocking.

They also have external differences. The mole rat is much larger and larger than the mole. Four powerful incisors stick out from above and below, protruding from the oral cavity. They are the main means of digging soil. The paws are poorly developed, like all rodents. At the same time, the mole’s front legs are powerful and strong, because it is with them that he makes passages for himself.

The mole rat, unlike moles, digs two-tiered holes for itself. The first floor is the nest itself, where the animal lives, stores food, etc. The upper tier is located at a depth of 25 cm, where the roots of the plants are located.

The shrew is distinguished from the mole by the gray color of its coat. Also, unlike him, she is a rodent. Another remarkable feature of the shrew is its increased metabolism, which forces it to be almost constantly in search of food. In a day, she eats more worms, larvae and insects than she weighs. The mole, by comparison, needs less food, although it is also gluttonous.