All about moles

The mole family is spread throughout Eurasia and North America. In America, moles appeared during the existence of the Beringian bridge, as they are absent in South America. This could only happen if, at the time of the mole migration to the neighboring continent, South America was separated from the Northern Strait. Mole sizes vary from 5 to 21 cm in different species. The weight of the animal depends on the size: 9-170g.The most familiar animal to the inhabitants of Russia common moleit is European, has a length of 12-16 cm and weighs 70-119 g.

Russian species

There are 4 species of real moles on the territory of the Russian Federation:

• ordinary / European (Talpa europaea);
• Siberian / Altai (Talpa altaica);
• blind (Talpa caeca);
• Caucasian (Talpa caucasica).

In addition to the four species of real moles, two more species of the mole family live in the Far East, but belonging to the Moher clan: the large / Ussuri mogera and the Japanese Mogera. Like molesMogers live underground and are very similar to the first ones due to the same lifestyle and nutrition. Of the external differences in Moger only brownish-brown color. All other differences between moles and mogerah can be detected only by a specialist after opening the animal. If there is no scale, the animals in the photo can not be distinguished from each other. A “common” photo of the mole and mogera below.

Interesting!

Big Moguera is the largest member of the mole family weighing up to 300 g and with a body length of up to 21 cm.

General description of animals from the genus mole

• torso cylindrical, elongated with short fur;
• forepaws are shovel-like, with powerful claws;
• claws are strong, flat;
• hind legs short, weaker than front;
• the skull is small, conical when viewed from above and narrow straight when viewed from the side;
• the mole's nose is transformed into a small proboscis;
• there are no auricles;
• eyes are underdeveloped in all species of molesSome are covered with a leather wrap.

The number of teeth in the mole's mouth varies among representatives. And this is the main feature by which you can determine the type of animal.

The peculiarity of the fur of all mole products is that it grows strictly upwards. Such a direction of wool growth allows an animal to move with equal speed in the underground tunnels both forward and backward. The wool is stacked so as to facilitate the movement of the animal.

Mole species

European / Ordinary

The area of ​​the European mole is almost the whole of Eurasia: in the north the border runs along the taiga, in the south along the forest-steppe. The western border is the Atlantic Ocean, the eastern border is the Lena River basin.

• An animal is 12-16 cm long and has a short tail (3 cm on average).
• Average weight: 70—119 g.
• The European mole eyes are visible. Their size is about 0.5-1 mm.
• Color matte black. The coat on the belly is slightly lighter than the main color. Young animals are more dull coloring.

Interesting!

The hairs on the tail perform a tactile function like vibrissae, facilitating the movement of the mole backwards.

Altai / Siberian

In this animal, sexual dimorphism is more pronounced than in the mole of the common.

• Females 13–17 cm long and weighing 70–145 g, males, respectively, 13.5–19.5 cm and 75–225 g.
• The eyes are better developed than those of the European species and even have moving eyelids.
• Solid color can be lead gray, or black with a brown tint. Dark individuals predominate in the mountainous regions, and gray in the plains.

On a note!

The Siberian mole possesses valuable fur, the length of which in winter reaches 12 mm.

Habitat - the western and middle parts of Siberia.

Blind / Small

The smallest of the Russian representatives of the mole. Length 8-12 cm, tail 2-3 cm. Weight up to 30 g. Eyes closed with thin skin. Color from black to dark brown.

Habitat - Caucasus. If the area intersects with the area of ​​the Caucasian mole, then the blind man digs the level below. The main diet of the mole- larvae of beetles.

Caucasian

Looks like an ordinary, but the eyes are hidden under the skin. Length 10-14 cm, tail 2.5-3.3 cm, weight 40-95 g. Black fur.

Habitat - Caucasian ridge and surrounding area.

Lifestyle

Mole's lifestyle

Moles are insectivorous animals that lead year-round active lifestyles. Life mole in nature is completely underground. Even calf female brings in burrow at a depth of 1.5-2 m. Because of the inaccessibility of wormholes, everything about moles is not known even to scientists studying these animals.

The environment where the moles live requires the presence of loose, wet earth. Depth mole passages only 5-20 cm. They are located in the upper loose layer of soil, as the mole digs the ground with its paws. The mole cannot gnaw the passages in the earth; different from the rodents of mole rats. The excess soil, the animals are pushed to the surface, forming molehills - holes, which, if ingested, can break a leg.

At the depth of the mole climbs in three cases:

1. Dig a course under a strip of trampled earth and for reproduction. If the animal digs a course under the footpath, it can go deeper into the ground by 0.5-1 m.
2. The female, in order to protect the offspring, arranges a delivery room under the roots of trees at a depth of 1.5-2 m.
3. In a drought, the food went too deep.

In the absence of an urgent need to dig in.Moles at what depth they live, on the one and lay their tunnels. The usual small depth of the moves allows the animals to breathe calmly and ventilate their homes.

Interesting!

Caucasian looking for food buried to a depth of 1 m.

In nature, moles do more good and harm is minimal. Mole paths contribute to soil aeration, which improves plant growth. But garden owners see them as their enemies and constantly try to fight the moles.

Why do we need such moves

Mole

Moles make their own feed moves in the surface layer of the soil due to the fact that their main food is earthworms. These invertebrates eat rotting organics, which are found only in the surface layers. For the same reason, moles settle in areas with wet soil. In addition to worms, molehill eat the larvae of pests living in the ground. Pests prefer tender roots of cultivated plants, and earthworms prefer manured garden soil. Following his meal, moles come to the country house and to the garden.

Interesting!

On occasion, the mole can eat the vole mouse caught in the feed.

Adults have a bad temper and do not tolerate rivals in their feeding area.They can eat a weaker congener or calf.

During the day the animal eats 50-60 g of worms and larvae. Due to high metabolism and significant energy consumption for digging moves, moles can live without food for more than 14 hours. During a hunger strike, they die of hunger longer than this time.

Contrary to delusions, these animals do not eat the roots of plants (they can be swallowed by chance) and would even be useful. But in pursuit of prey, they turn over planting in the beds, ruining the seedlings. Because of this, gardeners do not like underground inhabitants.

Moles do not hibernate, but in the winter they find it difficult to get food, as the earthworms go deep. Moles to such a depth can not dig. And above the ground freezes to a state of stone.

To survive the winter period, the animals make stocks of earthworms. The mole can eat only live prey. The task of preserving winter stocks animals solve ingenious: they bite off the worms of the head. The headless earthworm does not die, remaining alive throughout the cold period. But the worm cannot escape either. These invertebrates are unable to move without a head.

Breeding

Breeding mole

Moles breed once a year.The term of carrying cubs in different species is different. In the Siberian mole there is a period when the embryo ceases to develop for some time. The breeding period of the "Russian" moles is different:

• European mates in March-April. The female brings offspring after 35-40 days. Cubs are blind naked. In the litter, 3–9 are weighed, weighing 2–3 g. Only one fifth of the adult mole can bring a second litter in the summer. At 1.5 months, the young leaves the family.
• Siberian mates in June, but the female gives birth next year in April — May, since the Altai species has diapause and a total pregnancy of the molehill lasts 270 days. There are 3-6 cubs in the litter. In June, young animals identify themselves as adults and leave the nest. But puberty in females occurs only in a year, in males in two.
• Blind mates in February - March, still under the snow. Krotiha carries offspring for 30 days. In litter from 1 to 5 cubs. Up to the size of an adult individual, these animals grow in a month, after which they leave the nest.
• Caucasian also mates in February. Meek female brings in March. In brood 1-3 baby. After 40 days they become independent.

With such a small number of young and breeding only once a year, the number of moles in the territory can increase very quickly. Since the moles give birth deep under the ground, no predators threaten her offspring and all the young remain alive.

On a note!

Until the mole came to the surface, it has no natural enemies.

But how much a mole representative lives depends on its species. The life expectancy of a mole is 4–5 years old, Altai is 5 years old, 3–4 years blind, 5 years Caucasian.

Danger to humans

Attack a person will not. The danger to humans is unlikely to be due to a very high metabolism. An animal with a dangerous disease will die before it "finds" a person. And the question "Does the mole bite" remains open. Theoretically, yes, since he has teeth. Practically even captured moles do not express a desire to bite the one who caught them, but they make sounds that look like a rat squeak. Whether from panic, or seeking to scare the "predator."