Looks like a mole - real photos and description

Common or European mole

This mole, which is often met by gardeners, gardeners, wildlife lovers.

• The body size of the mole does not exceed 20 cm, the average dimensions are 15 cm. The body is oblong.
• The weight of an adult individual is about 120 g, the tail is not more than 4 cm long.
• Muzzle elongated, clearly visible nose with wide nostrils. More nothing stands out on his head there.
• Mole eyes with small slits without moving eyelids. Mole's vision is weakbut the sense of smell is well developed.
• The fur is soft, thick, short, black. On the abdomen color lighter. The tone varies slightly with the seasons. In winter, the wool is the most fluffy, beautiful. Sheds an animal about 4 times a year. Photos of the mole can be seen below.

Common or European mole

The animal mole has one bright distinguishing feature - spatulate forelimbs with long claws. They animal digs the ground, screwed into the passage, with its hind legs pushes the soil out. In places of burrowing holes, embankments - molehills are formed.

Mating season common mole begins in early spring, lasts until the end of May. Around June-July a younger generation appears. In the offspring about 9 moth. Female bears cubs about 30 days. It gives birth to a European mole only once per season. Anxiously cares for babies for about 2 months. The young squeak like chickens, lick around to each other, but at the age of 1 month they become pugnacious and aggressive towards their brothers and sisters.

The earthen mole is shown out only for mating, it happens at night. The rest of the time is underground. Digging numerous moves, labyrinths. This species of moles feeds earthworms, insects, pupae, tracksless often slugs, lizards, mice, snakes, frogs.

Interesting!

Labyrinths for hunting mole builds at a depth of no more than 20 cm from the surface. In the already finished tunnels crawling earthworms, which are attracted by the musky smell emanating from the mole. The animal bites the worm's head, immobilizes, but for some time the prey remains alive.

Caucasian mole

Caucasian mole

It is one of the varieties of ordinary moles. It is found on the territory of the Caucasus, Turkey.Externally, the mole looks like a European, but is smaller.

• The average length of the mole's body is about 14 cm. Females are smaller than males.
• Weight not more than 90 g.
• Tail length about 3 cm.
• Eyes covered with skin, unobtrusive.
• The nose of a mole on an elongated muzzle stands out well.
• The coat is thick, black, in the summertime it acquires a brown tint.

A Caucasian mole digs tunnels at a depth of 5–20 cm, leaves loosened soil on the surface. In hot time, it deepens by 50-100 cm. In the same place, it builds a nest. The main camera is located under a tree or in shady areas. From the nest of the mole depart numerous moves.

Interesting!

During the day a small mole loosens about 45 m of soil. In search of food, he builds 20 new tunnels per day. The habitat of one adult animal is about 1 ha. The animal does not tolerate competition, lives alone, tolerates the presence of a couple only during the mating season. The territory marks a special secret.

The breeding of moles begins at the end of March, in April the young already appear. They grow up extremely quickly. At the age of 1 month they reach the size of an adult mole, in 60 days of their existence they leave the family to build their own nest.

Siberian or Altai mole

Siberian or Altai mole

Variety of common mole.Differs from relatives of large size. It lives on the territory of Siberia, Mongolia.

• The mole's body size is about 20 cm. Females are slightly smaller.
• The tail does not exceed 4 cm.
• Eyes are round, small, have a mobile eyelid.
• The muzzle is elongated, with a well pronounced nose.
• Ears are small, almost invisible.
• The shovel-shaped forepaws of the mole with long claws, the hind ones resemble rat limbs.
• The coat is dark black in color, but it is smoky, yellow, and brown.
• The Siberian mole weighs from 100 to 225 g.

A distinctive feature of this type of mole is a long pregnancy. Fertilization occurs in the summer, but the embryo fades until spring. Cubs appear in April-May. Pregnancy lasts 9 months. In the offspring about 11 pups.

The main food is earthworms, the second place is the larvae of beetles, pupae, small insects. A Siberian mole can calmly bite a mouse, a lizard, a sick rat, a bear, a snake, a snake, a frog. There are cases of cannibalism. The winner takes possession of the victim, marking his territory with a special secret.

Starfish

Starfish

The second name of the mole is a starfish.It differs from the relatives of an unusual nose. The stigma consists of 22 soft processes - tentacles. Thanks to them, the animal gropes for food. The rest of the body structure is similar to the European mole.

• The body of the mole is elongated, about 22 cm long.
• The tail is long - 8 cm.
• The coat is thick, soft, silky black, brown.
• Auricles are absent.
• Small eyes are not covered with skin.

The celebrity swims perfectly, dives. The mole feeds on crustaceans, slugs, earthworms, larvae, mollusks. In addition to the underground, aquatic lifestyle, is ground. It can build nests in rotten stumps, hollows of old trees, under the leaves. Prefers marshland, soil with high humidity. Often found near rivers, lakes, marshes in the United States.

Interesting!

This member of the family of mole can quietly live in a pair. The male helps the female to grow and feed the babies. Unlike other relatives, it is less aggressive.

Marsupial mole

Marsupial mole

The representative of Australia, about life, whose behavior is known very little. Body size about 20 cm, weight up to 90 g. Small tail - 2 cm. Body color is white, pink, brown.Wool is soft, thick, extremely beautiful.

The marsupial mole lives under the ground, but it does not build a huge number of tunnels, tunnels, most of them buries right away. It seems that the animal swims in the sand. Leads a single life, the female for the mating period finds by smell.

Periodically shown on the surface, especially after rain. A mole builds its hole at a depth of 1 m. The favorite food is the larvae of beetles, also feeds on lizards, seeds of plants. Without food can live no more than 17 hours.

Moles come in different sizes, differ somewhat in appearance, but lead an identical lifestyle. They are useful animals - loosen the soil, destroy harmful insects, but with great activity they cause damage to agriculture, undermining the root system of plants in the process of digging tunnels. For this, farmers lead fighting moles, trying to keep their landing from an underground pest.