Page 108 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

Moles are small subterranean mammals and are members of the ‘true mole’ family Talpidae*.
However, some moles in the family are not ‘true moles’; the American shrew mole, for instance, is not a
true mole. Moles are found in most parts of North America, Europe and Asia. The largest of the species,
the Russian desman (Desmana moschata) is around 18 to 22 cm in length, with a tail nearly as long,
and weighs around 100 to 220 grams. The smallest, the American shrew mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii), is
around 3 to 4 cm in length, with a slightly shorter tail, and weighs only 7 to 11 grams. Moles are believed
to have first appeared some 25 to 30 million years ago.

Moles have a body tapered in designed to move
effortlessly through its subterranean world; it’s
round and oval shaped, with a short tail at the rear.
Its head, with a soft pointed muzzle protruding from
its upper jaw, blends smooth with its body. Its round
eyes, not always visible, are tiny, and they have no
external ears. Their rear limbs and paws are small,
designed more for pushing, while its longer fore-
limbs have large five fingered paddle-like paws de-
signed for scooping out large amounts of soil. The
short nap of its velvet pelt is soft and pliable allow-
ing the mole to slide effortlessly forwards or back-
wards through its underground tunnels.

Moles are found in deciduous woodlands,
Other moles (Wikipedia) open farmlands and grasslands but avoid Conifer
Many groups of burrowing animals woodlands where the soil is too acidic for their favourite food,
(pink fairy armadillos, tuco-tucos, mole earthworms, to live. They burrow out a large extensive tunnel sys-
rats, mole crickets, pygmy mole crick- tem containing storage and nesting chambers some 30cm to 4 me-
ets and mole crabs) have inde- tres underground, pushing the excavated soil to the surface, creat-
pendently developed close physical ing their tell-tale molehills above ground. They are solitary animals
similarities with moles due and fiercely territorial, attacking any interloper. They spend most
to convergent evolution; two of these of their time in their tunnels, only coming to the surface to find a
are so similar to true moles, they are mate, for water during dry spells, or to collect nesting material.
commonly called and thought of as Their diet consists of earthworms and other small soil bound in-
"moles" in common English, although vertebrates. They have very poor eyesight and hearing but are very
they are completely unrelated to true
moles or to each other. These are sensitive to vibrations. They can pinpoint and home-in on the
the golden moles of southern Africa slightest ‘sound’. Once caught, the mole has a paralyzing toxin in
and the marsupial moles of Australia. its saliva, which renders its prey helpless but alive. The mole can
While difficult to distinguish from each then eat the prey or store it in its storage chamber; keeping it alive
other, they are most easily distin- to be eaten when prey is scarce. Researchers monitoring moles
guished from true moles by shovel-like have often found these storage chambers crammed with helpless
patches on their noses, which they but living earthworms. Moles are extremely powerful animals, are
use in tandem with their abbreviated difficult to handle and can bite, though rarely do. However, when
forepaws to swim through sandy soils. handling them you should always wear a thick pair of gloves.

*FAMILY TALPIDAE (‘true’ Genus Urotrichus Genus Scaptochirus (short-faced
moles) (Japanese shrew moles) 2 species. mole)
42 species in 17 genera. 30 fossil genera Genus Condylura (star-nosed mole) 1 species from northeastern China.
have been identified from the Middle Eo- 1 species from Canada and the United States. Genus Scaptonyx (long-tailed mole)
cene of Europe, the Oligocene in Asia and Genus Nesoscaptor (Ryukyu, or Shen- 1 species from southern China and Myan-
the Mediterranean region, and the Late kaku, mole) mar (Burma).
Oligocene in North America. 1 species from Japan. Subfamily Uropsilinae
Subfamily Talpinae Genus Neurotrichus (American shrew Genus Uropsilus (Asiatic shrew
36 species in 14 genera from Asia and mole) moles)
North America. 1 species from western Canada and western 4 species from central China and Myan-
Genus Talpa (Old World moles) United States. mar (Burma).
9 species from Europe. Genus Parascalops (hairy-tailed mole) Subfamily Desmaninae
Genus Mogera (East Asian moles) 1 species from Canada and the United States. 2 species in 2 genera from Europe and
7 species from Asia. Genus Parascaptor (white-tailed mole) western Asia.
Genus Euroscaptor (Oriental moles) 1 species from Asia. Genus Desmana (Russian desman)
6 species from Southeast Asia and Japan. Genus Scalopus (eastern mole) 1 species from Europe and western Asia.
Genus Scapanus (western American 1 North American species. Genus Galemys (Pyrenean desman)
moles) Genus Scapanulus (Gansu mole) 1 European species.
3 species from North America. 1 species from central China.