Moles are mammals that can be found all around the world, except Antarctica and South America. Typically, people know moles as garden pests because of their ability to dig tunnels.
Moles are hairless, they have small eyes and a pointed snout. From the exterior, they have no definable ears. For the average mole, they can grow up to 6.25 inches long and their tails can grow up to 1.6 inches. On average, they weigh a total of 4.5 ounces. For an American mole, they can get as big as 7 inches long. They come in different colors: black, orange, cream and white.
The hairless mammal enjoys being in the grasslands, in gardens, burrowing in sand dunes or searching through the woodlands. They enjoy any area where they can dig through the soil, therefore, they are usually not found in areas with acidic soil or in the mountains.
Moles enjoy eating earthworms, which they keep alive by biting off their heads (this keeps them immobile). It allows them to store them in chambers to feast on later. As many as 470 earthworms were once recorded in a chamber. (The Mammal Society).
During breeding season, moles start to enlarge their tunnels so that they can find female moles to mate with. A female mole can then give birth to 3-4 hairless babies. When the baby moles (pups) are 14 days old, they start to grow hair. At 5-6 weeks, the pups will leave their and their tunnel.
Some Fun Mole Facts
- While moles do spend most of their time underground, they are not blind. They do see very poorly so they can only see light and some movement. They use the scent sensors on the tip of their nose to find other moles and food.
- Moles use tunnels so that they can travel, but it’s more than just a highway for them. They have bedrooms and birthing areas as well as kitchens.
- They will live in a series of tunnels for generations before they decide to move.
- Moles like to live alone, so alone that 3-5 moles per an acre is considered a lot.
- They eat their body weight in earthworms everyday.
- Moles live for about 3 years.
- The naked mole is not part of the mole family, it is part of the rodent family.
- Moles can survive up to 18 minutes without oxygen.
- They are resistant to pain and rarely ever get cancer.
- Moles don’t age.
- If you find a mole in your garden, they are going after earthworms. It is a common misconception that they are going for your veggie roots.
- Moles have curved front paws that they use to dig through soil (like a shovel). They can dig up 18 feet in just one hour.
- They don’t hibernate, they catch food all year round.
- Moles have twice as much blood as other mammals and they have more oxygen in their blood, which keeps them alive underground.
- Similar to pigs, males are called boars while females are called sows.
Are you having some trouble with moles digging up your yard? Don’t fret. Just give Wildout Animal and Pest Removal a call. Wildout will come to your home and provide a free and thorough inspection of your yard, get rid of the moles and use preventive measures to make sure they do not easily come back. Call today: 844-945-3688