Moles throw molehills and have very poor eyesight. Everyone knows that. But did you also know that a mole has a unique organ and creates a sleeping chamber in its burrow? Find out below a lot of interesting facts about the way of life of the mole.

The mole only comes to the surface to carry the excavated earth up

The appearance of the mole

Moles are cute creatures: they get up to 16cm long and 130g heavy and are therefore smaller than a rat. With its pointed snout, very small eyes and large shoveled front paws, it is truly a special mammal.

digression

The mole's sixth sense

Moles have an organ that no other animal on earth possesses: the Eimer's organ. This is located in the skin on the nose of the trunk and has five times as many nerve fibers as our hand. This allows the mole to perceive, for example, when a worm is moving its muscles. In addition, the mole has a very good sense of smell and can hear much better than we can.

The life cycle of the mole

are moles loner. Only during the mating season between February and April do moles willing to mate come together to provide for offspring. At this time, males leave their territory, which means that more molehills can be observed. Female moles carry for four weeks and thus bring between March and the end of May two to seven young are born. They only open their eyes after about three weeks and look for their own territory at the age of about six weeks. The mortality of the little ones is very high. Over half do not reach sexual maturity in the next year. moles can live up to seven years; however, few happy animals die of old age.

The mole's tunnel system

Moles are known to dig tunnel systems. The tunnels are between 10 and 100 cm deep, depending on the type of tunnel and the time of year. In winter, the mole digs much deeper to find food.
A mole digs around seven meters per hour, which is why its construction can have a considerable length of up to 200m in total. We get to see the excavation on the surface as molehills. The mole creates several chambers in the tunnel system, including:

  • pantries
  • a living and nesting chamber
  • water point

When is the mole active?

Many wonder if the mole is nocturnal or diurnal. However, since the mole lives underground, where the rhythm of day and night is practically irrelevant, it does not follow it. Instead, the mole waking and sleeping phases, each about four hours therefore.

The mole as a beneficial creature

Lawn lovers hate moles because they leave unsightly piles on beautiful lawns. Apart from this visual detail, the mole is a real blessing for every ornamental and vegetable garden: moles are super pest killers and pure carnivores, which is why they do not damage plants - unlike the vole, for example. Every day they eat at least half their body weight of grubs, worms, larvae, snails and the like and thus keep the garden free of pests. They also aerate the soil through their digging activity and thus improve its quality.

tips

The mole is under protection. Therefore, he may not be killed, captured, or hunted. Only distribution with harmless means is permitted. It is questionable whether this garden protector should be sold.

Category:

Animals in the garden