Baby mole: photos and features of small 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.

Main varieties

The classification of moles implies the existence of over 40 species. Among them, the most common are about one and a half dozen subspecies.

East Asian

Animals from the Mole family. They are found in mid-mountain meadows and forests of East and Southeast Asia. Little studied, do not have well described characteristics.

Mogers

Moles with a body length of 9–25 cm and a weight of 290–300 grams. They differ from their relatives of other species in their brownish-brown hair, the specific structure of the auditory apparatus and pelvic bones. There is no fang in the lower jaw. The eyes are covered with leathery membranes and are not visible from the outside.

Ordinary

The animal is known as the European mole. It has a rounded oblong body, an elongated muzzle and a short neck. The limbs are small, adapted for digging. The front legs end in spade-shaped palms that are turned outward. They have powerful claws.

The eyes are partially covered with skin. The hairline is thick and short. This genus is most common in the Mole family.

American shrew

The most popular species of mole in North America. Their habitat is wet areas. They have soft and dense fur. The tail is long, equal to half the body. The length of the animal itself is about 10 cm, weight – 10 grams. The eyes are small, the paws are less adapted to digging than those of other subspecies. The animal can swim and climb bushes.

Hairy-tailed

Another American-Canadian species of moles. The animals weigh 50 g and have a body length of 3.5 cm. The head is strongly elongated. The upper incisors are better developed than the other teeth. The animal sometimes crawls out to the surface of the ground at night.

Whitetail

A representative of Moles, distinguished by its white tail. In general, it looks almost like all other moles. Found throughout Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar.

Eastern American

A large mole, 16 cm long and weighing 75 g. The front legs are wide and powerful, well suited for digging. There is no hair on the paws. Their width is greater than their length, the hind and front toes are fused.

Western Chinese

The most original type of mole in China. It lives in the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Shaanxi and Sichuan.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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:

1. In construction, the mole uses not only its paws, but also its nose.
2. In one minute the animal digs up to 30 cm of soil.
3. Sometimes moles eat their dead or weakened relatives.
4. The speed of movement of the animal through the tunnel is 25 m/s.
5. There is a bone in the reproductive organ of male moles.
6. Moles are not actually blind; their eyes are simply covered with skin to prevent dirt from falling into them.
7. Moles, along with snakes, are never found in Ireland.
8. Even if the animal is moved to another place, it somehow still finds its way home.
9. The average length of a mole hole is 200 meters.
10. Ordinary moles are not found in Australia, and their ecological niche is occupied by marsupial moles - animals with orange fur.
11. If you start feeding the animal artificially, it will stop moving and will soon die from obesity.
12. 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.

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.

Mature offspring

At 1.5 – 2 months the baby mole becomes an adult. It can kill mice, frogs, snakes. Mature individuals are aggressive towards each other. On the 35th day they can leave the nest in search of a new home. At this moment, animals often die from attacks by predators or are hit by cars.

At 2 months they build a separate burrow with numerous labyrinths. The animal is capable of plowing up to 45 m of land in a day. The volume of the daily diet is equal to its own weight. The mole is looking for food to stockpile.

The pest eats several times a day. The digestion process takes up to 5 hours. He sleeps between meals. The diet consists of:

• worms;
• caterpillars;
• woodlice;

• larvae;
• slugs;
• snails;

• mole cricket;
• spiders;
• centipedes.

Natural enemies of moles include cats, dogs, foxes, wolves, and hedgehogs.

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.

Arrangement of the nest

The female builds a nest for the future offspring away from the “spouse’s” burrows. The new mole hole is located at a depth of one and a half to two meters and consists of numerous radial and circular passages. The new dwelling communicates with the old circular gallery of holes.

To protect children from the possible danger of attack and to provide an escape route, the nest is built at the intersection of several underground passages. The nests look like small closets covered with soft grass, leaves or moss.

The habitat area of ​​an adult mole is about 50 hectares. A brood can occupy an area of ​​up to 1250 hectares. To avoid encroachment on its territory, it is marked with a special secretion accumulated on the belly fur. An area not marked with a secret is considered free for settlement.

In search of a comfortable place to live, moles constantly move from place to place. During floods, they move to higher ground, and as the heat sets in, they move to cooler lowlands. In hot weather, moles can go a considerable distance from the house in search of water. At the same time, throughout their lives, they remain in the area of ​​their site.

A friendly neighborhood is not accepted among moles. If a mole living nearby dies or gets caught in a trap, the neighbors immediately notice and expropriate its territory.

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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Natural enemies

Moles have relatively few enemies as such. The powerful smell protects them from foxes. They are only suitable for food for badgers. Sometimes dogs and cats hunt animals, but not to kill them, but out of “sporting interest.”

Pets can control the number of moles in their garden. In those households where dogs and cats live, there are almost no moles.