Mole passages on the surface. What do moles eat, what do they need from your garden? Where do moles live

The mole is an animal known to everyone from children's fairy tales, where it was always portrayed as a thrifty and thrifty owner. They live on the edges of forests, meadows and floodplain lowlands of the vast expanses of Eurasia and North America. Such large territories are developed by these animals due to their predominantly underground existence, where they hide from enemies and unfavorable external conditions.

Among all mammals, moles are the best adapted to underground existence. The mole's oval dense body, thick neck and elongated snout-shaped facial part of the head enable the animal to easily navigate underground labyrinths.

All moles are blind because their organs of vision are small holes covered with fur. In some individuals, such eye openings are completely closed. The mole's lack of normal vision is explained by its underground lifestyle.

Photo. What can you see in pitch darkness, and why, if the mole hears perfectly?

Unlike most mammals, the mole does not have ears, which would complicate its life underground. The hearing organs are represented by ear openings, covered with skin folds that protect the mole's ear canals from soil.

The straight-growing hairs of the mole's coat can freely lie in any direction as the animal moves underground, without creating obstacles for it.

The entire life of a mole is spent constantly digging holes. Therefore, its front paws resemble a shovel in shape, and its well-developed toes help to rake the dug up earth.

Moles choose just the right territory to live in, where there is soft, pliable soil in which it is easy to dig passages and tunnels. The mole digs the ground not out of boredom, but to get food for itself.

Photo. The mole has worked.

Photo. The mole has done the job - now you can rest.

The places where the mole has settled can be easily determined by the fresh mounds of loose earth, which the mole pushes to the surface, freeing up underground passages for itself, which it constructs at a depth of five to twenty centimeters. The constant work of a digger requires a lot of energy. Therefore, moles are very voracious and can live only 12 hours without food.

Contrary to popular belief among gardeners, moles do not feed on vegetation, but prefer earthworms. He loves to feast on them so much that he makes winter supplies from the worms. And to prevent the treat from running away, the mole bites off the worms' heads. When decapitated, the worms become paralyzed, but remain alive, which allows the mole to eat them “fresh” throughout the long winter.

Moles do not refuse insects and their larvae. They can eat both mice and shrews. While digging tunnels, the mole disrupts the structure of plant roots, which leads to their death. For this, gardeners do not favor the underground worker, but in vain.

After all, working hard in the garden, the mole eats pests and their larvae, loosens the soil, enriching it with oxygen, which ultimately has a beneficial effect on the future harvest.

The warm and good-quality fur coat of a mole attracts the attention of people, and many hunt these animals for their valuable fur. In addition to fur hunters, moles also have enemies among predators. Foxes destroy moles by digging up their holes, and weasels hunt these animals and eat them en masse.

The photo shows newly born mole cubs in the nest.

And in this photo the baby moles have already grown up.

Watch the film how a mole reproduces and lives in its natural habitat.

Who doesn’t know that a mole is a real nightmare for a gardener or gardener. Even one seemingly fluffy animal with black beady eyes, which are practically invisible, can cause so much damage to garden crops that the dacha plot will be significantly damaged. And the reason is not only that moles eat vegetables and root vegetables.

The mole reaches a length of about 15 cm, weighs up to 120 g, and its color is gray or brown, with an ashen tint. Its skin is velvety to the touch. The physiological characteristics of this frequent guest at the dacha allow him to “cultivate” huge areas of territory and all this for the sake of new prey. The animal is characterized by the presence of five-fingered forelimbs that are slightly turned to the side and powerful claws. They plow the ground like blades, and thus build entire underground highways along which they will later walk in search of fresh delicacies.

Video “Appearance of this animal”

From the video you will learn what this animal really looks like.

Where does it live?

It is known to many that any mole visits a summer cottage regularly. But where exactly in nature does it live and what does it eat? It can be found both in forests and in areas that are located near human habitation: in meadows, vegetable gardens, oak groves, orchards and other green spaces. At the same time, the soil with which the animal deals must be sufficiently moist, otherwise difficulties will arise in the process of digging further tunnels. In addition, earthworms and other types of invertebrates are found in moisture-saturated soil. The mole is usually called the common synanthropus. Although this animal does not always live on a summer cottage, it is found in close proximity to it.

Its presence on your territory can be judged primarily by the cone-shaped hills of earth, which are found in large quantities in the garden or vegetable garden. This is the earth that the animal pushes up while digging its next tunnel. The depth of such tunnels varies from 2 to 5 meters. For most of its life, the mole moves along its underground highways and builds new passages. This takes a lot of energy, so actively replenishing it is commonplace for such an animal. How can you provide energy if not by constantly consuming various delicacies? Therefore, nutrition for a mole is the most important stage of life.

What does it eat?

Since the presence of an animal in a summer cottage is often associated with damage to root crops, many summer residents are confident that this is where the mole’s culinary addictions end.

However, we must not forget that he is, first of all, a predator, and the fact that he often visits your garden does not mean that he cannot feed on insects or earthworms.

Quite the contrary, the mole eats them first.

Research conducted in this area provides an answer to the question of what moles eat. In most cases, the favorite foods of these shrews are:

• earthworms - moles consume them in huge quantities;
• beetle larvae;
• various insects, millipedes and woodlice;
• roots, grains, soft parts of plants.

The mole mainly eats earthworms. These animals consume them everywhere, but not because of their nutritional value, but based on their abundance. In fact, the mole, moving through its tunnels, does not disdain almost anything that comes across it on the way.

Food in the forest

If in a summer cottage a mole usually feeds on root vegetables, and not just insects or worms, then in nature these animals are real predators. What does a mole eat in a forest or meadow? Their diet includes beetles, flies, wasps, ants and all kinds of larvae that moles search for in the ground. But the list of this digger’s favorite dishes does not end there.
A mole in the forest can even cope with mice, small snakes, lizards and frogs. If a prey wanders into a predator's underground tunnel, it may soon become its prey. The total weight of food that a mole consumes per day is equal to its weight. This is due to the fact that he is constantly in motion, expending a large amount of energy. Another key feature of the forest animal is that it drinks a lot of water and stores up earthworms for the winter.

Food in gardens and summer cottages

Moles are often found in the garden and there are benefits from them too. For example, this animal eats mole crickets and Khrushchev - garden pests. But the fact that the number of earthworms is significantly reduced in a summer cottage is also the merit of moles, but it will not have the best effect on the condition of the garden (earthworms loosen the soil and at the same time help improve the harvest, so their active destruction will not bring anything good) .

What do moles eat in the garden, and what are the main reasons for their appearance in garden plots?

First of all, digging regularly plowed soil is much easier, because it is loose, quite moist and ideal for growing garden crops.

This is a favorable environment for the mole. There is always enough food here, including earthworms. In addition, when working in the garden, these animals remain unnoticed much longer, since the soil is loose, it does not need to be pushed to the surface, thereby giving itself away. The moles simply press it into the walls of the newly made tunnels.

Video “Fighting moles”

From the video you will learn how this animal behaves on the site.

Even small children know that this animal does not see anything. Older people know that the common mole is a soil mammal. In this article we will look at how this little animal lives, what it eats and what it does.

Common mole. Description

Representatives of this species can live in forests, fields, steppes and meadows. The European or common one (Talpa europaea) is often found. Where he lives is always dark, which is why he has no eyes. Although some individuals have small organs of vision, the only function of which is to distinguish light from darkness.

How did it initially become known that the common mole is a soil animal? People were prompted to this idea by piles of soil on the surface of the earth. These are the so-called molehills. While watching them, we discovered this animal. Later, while studying it, the person determined that the mole had no vision. At the same time, the animal has developed other senses that make it possible to use smell, touch and hearing to a significant extent. His ears are located inside.

Special constitution

The common mole is a small animal, only 10-20 centimeters in length. There is a tail located behind its body. Its length is 2 centimeters. In addition, the structure of the body also allows the mole to move underground without interference. Its skin is covered with smooth, short fur, pleasant to the touch. It does not interfere with turning and backing in dark passages, due to the fact that it grows upward and not backward. Most often, the animal has black fur, although sometimes there are exceptions in the form of ash or brown shades. But still, the fur is not immune from damage. After all, a mole has to move in a confined space.

Reverse stroke

In order to restore hair in time, these animals shed 3-4 times a year. They acquire the most beautiful fur after the autumn molt, which begins at the end of October. In winter it grows taller and thicker, and in summer “relief” sets in again and the coat becomes shorter and thinner. The animal's muzzle is elongated and covered with sensitive hairs.

It is known that the common mole can “walk” backwards. It has this ability thanks to the vibrissae growing on its tail. He has a special tool that makes movement easier. The common mole digs underground passages using its paws. If you look at it closer, you can see that they are wide, powerful, equipped with strong claws. The mole works with these “shovels”, moving in endless underground tunnels.

Prose of life

Nutrition

The mole is called a pest because, moving underground in vegetable gardens, it gnaws the roots of plants, which then die. But it is a mistake to think that this animal eats greens. He is far from a herbivore. ordinary? He is an insectivore. The mole eats all representatives of invertebrates that come across its path: mollusks, larvae, worms, slugs, centipedes, woodlice. It happens that he gets lizards, mice and frogs. This little guy is a terrible glutton. This is not surprising, since small mammals have to eat a lot to maintain body heat. He consumes an amount of food equal to his weight per day (60-100 grams). In winter, he eats what he managed to store.

Increase in numbers

The common mole strives to leave offspring, like any other creature on our planet. For this purpose, the male mates with the female. This usually occurs in March or April. After a month, the female brings forth offspring in the amount of 4 to 9 cubs. Initially, they are not covered with hair, are very small and require constant care. Therefore, the mother stays next to them until the moles reach the age of 1.5 months.

Mole's house

This animal not only crawls underground. He arranges a house for himself, which he covers with dry grass. In addition, the purpose of the moves that the mole makes varies. One by one he makes his way to a watering hole, food and his nest, while others serve as invertebrates. The common mole makes its home at a depth of 1.5-2 meters. Most often, housing will be located between roots or under buildings. There are no restrictions on the depth of passages that form a multi-tier system. If the soil is loose, the mole can go down 100 meters. The “corridors” dug by him are preserved for a long time. If they are not destroyed by other animals or people, several generations of moles can live in them.

These animals work with their paws at high speed, so there are a lot of winding passages underground. An obstacle for them is “heavy” soil. The mole has a particularly bad time during drought. It may even die if it fails to crawl through a dried-out area of ​​soil. The common mole makes traps for future food products shallowly. Interestingly, its smell, which repels predators, attracts worms. They crawl into the passages he makes, where they are usually eaten. Other animals, such as mice, also use wormholes. And shrews often penetrate feeding passages specifically to eat worms.

Do nature and people need them?

If such an animal exists, it means there is some benefit from it. Not everyone will be able to determine what it is. Especially those who have summer cottages or live in their own house. Such people know that a mole is a pest. By making passages, it damages plants that may die. Molehills spoil the appearance of lawns and lawns. Their activities reduce the amount of nutrients beneficial to the soil. The owners are trying to get rid of such an unpleasant neighborhood. To do this, they use both modern and folk remedies; they try to do everything so that the mole leaves their area. But at the same time, this animal eats pests and loosens the soil. This means there is still some benefit from it. The main thing is that he works away from the household plot.

It’s hard to imagine who would have come up with the idea of ​​sewing a fur coat from moleskin. The creator of the first such product probably came up with this idea because of the softness and silkiness of the animal’s fur. Yes, such fur coats look attractive, unusual and exclusive. But they are expensive. Other products are made from such fur. We can say that this is how a person takes revenge on a mole for ruining his gardens.

A mole is an animal whose description is often found in newspapers and magazines on various topics. This is not surprising, because in our area this animal is often found. Since childhood, many remember the mole as a popular fairy-tale character. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind even for adults is the fairy tale “Thumbelina,” where the animal appears before us in the form of a thrifty owner.

In real life, moles are small animals that live underground. Their peculiarity is the lack of vision. However, this is not a defect at all. If moles had a normal organ of vision, they simply could not spend their entire lives underground. Also, moles do not have ears. And this is not just like that.

The pressure present in them would prevent animals from constantly staying underground. As seen,
the body and all vital systems are arranged in such a way that the only habitat can be a dungeon. And the moles’ home itself is a complex system of tunnels. Even scientists who study the habits of the animal are surprised at how intricate paths moles dig for themselves.

The fact that moles are blind does not mean they lack vision. They have eyes, but they are very small and completely covered with fur on top. And in some species, the eyes are completely hidden under the skin. The fur of moles is short and soft so much that it is pleasant to touch. However, the fur of animals also has its own peculiarity. It can easily be stacked in different directions. If the fur of moles did not have this property, it would be difficult for them to move through their underground tunnels with such ease.

The average length of moles reaches from 13 to 16 cm. It depends on the type of animal and its habitat. Half the length of the mole is occupied by the head and tail, which are the same size. The fur color is black, and in some species it is dark gray, sometimes with a blue tint.

Where is it found?

The habitat of moles is Russia, especially its West, Siberia, the Urals, Eurasia and America. How were such small animals able to “capture” such a large habitat for themselves? Everything is explained by their underground way of life, which often saves them from enemies, external irritants, and even such a primitive factor as weather is practically indifferent to moles.

As for the territory of residence itself, which the animals choose for themselves, it is selected carefully. Moles will not live in sandy soil; they also avoid swampy areas. The most favorable for them is moderately moist soil with soft soil. It is in such an environment that it is easiest for animals to dig holes, and it is this activity that takes up most of their lives.

By the way, to determine the place where the mole has settled, you do not need to have special knowledge. It can be easily identified by small mounds, which consist of earth, which the animal pushed to the surface in order to make room for the next tunnel. Moleholes are often found on the banks of the river, because the animals are excellent swimmers and can swim as freely as they can dig underground.

Danger to people

The mole does not pose any direct danger to humans. Consider several aspects in which they can cause minor harm; most often, the activity of moles can negatively affect the summer cottage.

This is due to two factors:

1. by processing the soil during tunnel digging, animals mix a highly fertile surface with a low-fertile one;
2. moles eat a large number of earthworms, which in themselves have a beneficial effect on the soil.

All this leads to the fact that the soil is slowly becoming depleted and may simply become unsuitable for some types of plants that previously grew well and bore fruit.

How to get rid

When planning to get rid of moles, driving them out of your area once and for all, you should understand that this is not so easy to do. In some cases, you have to spend more than one month to say goodbye to unwanted guests.

Let's look at several effective ways.

If the owner of the dacha is patient, then you can get rid of moles using gentle methods. For example, you can take care to reduce the soil moisture level for a certain period. Then the animals will simply leave your site and go looking for new housing.

The mole is a small underground animal that belongs to mammals and insectivores. distributed throughout the world, loves moist, loose soil, is not found high in the mountains or in marshy areas. Many species of moles have a similar appearance and lead an identical lifestyle. The mole is found everywhere in Russia - on forest edges, in deciduous forests, fields, vegetable gardens, in summer cottages, gardens, and flower beds. The names of the family come from the word dig, dig.

A real mole, which is often encountered by gardeners, gardeners, and 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 is about 120 g, the tail is no more than 4 cm long.
• The muzzle is elongated, the nose with splayed nostrils is clearly visible. There is nothing else that stands out on the head.
• Mole eyes with small slits without movable eyelids. , but the sense of smell is well developed.
• The fur is soft, thick, short, black. The color on the abdomen is lighter. The tone changes somewhat depending on the time of year. In winter, the wool is the fluffiest and most beautiful. The animal sheds about 4 times a year. A photo of the mole can be seen below.

The mole animal has one striking distinctive feature - spade-shaped forelimbs with long claws. With them the animal digs the ground, screws itself into the passage, and pushes the soil out with its hind legs. In places where holes are dug, mounds are formed - molehills.

The mating season begins in early spring and lasts until the end of May. Around June-July, the younger generation appears. There are about 9 moles in the litter. The female bears for about 30 days. The European mole gives birth only once per season. Carefully takes care of babies for about 2 months. The cubs squeak like chickens and cuddle each other, but already at the age of 1 month they become pugnacious and aggressive towards their brothers and sisters.

The earth mole only appears outside to mate; this happens at night. The rest of his time is spent underground. Digs numerous passages and labyrinths. earthworms, insects, pupae, less often slugs, lizards, snakes, frogs.

Interesting!

The mole builds labyrinths for hunting at a depth of no more than 20 cm from the surface. Earthworms crawl into the ready-made tunnels, attracted by the musky smell emanating from the mole. The animal bites through the head of the worm, immobilizes it, but the prey remains alive for some time.

It is one of the varieties of ordinary moles. Found in the Caucasus and Turkey. Externally, the mole looks like a European one, but is smaller in size.

• The average body length of a mole is about 14 cm. Females are smaller than males.
• Weight no more than 90 g.
• Tail length is about 3 cm.
• The eyes are covered with skin and are hardly noticeable.
• The mole's nose stands out well on its elongated muzzle.
• The coat is thick, black, and becomes brown in the summer.

The Caucasian mole digs holes at a depth of 5-20 cm, leaving loose soil on the surface. In hot weather it goes deeper by 50-100 cm. It also builds a nest there. The main camera is placed under a tree or in a shady area. Numerous passages extend from the mole's nest.

Interesting!

During the day, a small mole loosens about 45 m of soil. In search of food, it builds 20 new tunnels a day. The habitat area of ​​one adult animal is about 1 hectare. The animal cannot stand competition, lives alone, and tolerates the presence of a couple only during the mating season. The territory is marked with a special secret.

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

A variety of common mole. It differs from its relatives in its large size. Lives in Siberia and Mongolia.

• The mole's body size is about 20 cm. Females are somewhat smaller.
• The length of the tail does not exceed 4 cm.
• The eyes are round, small, and have a movable eyelid.
• The muzzle is elongated, with a well-defined nose.
• The ears are small, almost invisible.
• The mole's shovel-shaped front paws have long claws; the hind paws are similar to rat limbs.
• The coat is dark black, but can be smoky, yellow, or brown.
• The Siberian mole weighs from 100 to 225 g.

A distinctive feature of this type of mole is its long pregnancy. Fertilization occurs in the summer, but the embryo freezes until spring. Cubs appear in April-May. Pregnancy lasts 9 months. There are about 11 cubs in the litter.

The main food is earthworms, followed by beetle larvae, pupae, and small insects. A Siberian mole can easily gnaw on a mouse, lizard, sick rat, mole cricket, snake, snake, or frog. There are cases of cannibalism. The winner takes possession of the victim's possessions, marking his territory with a special secret.

The second name for the mole is star-nosed. It differs from its relatives by its 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 mole's body is elongated, about 22 cm long.
• The tail is long - 8 cm.
• The coat is thick, soft, silky, black and brown in color.
• There are no auricles.
• Small eyes are not covered by skin.

The starfish swims and dives well. The mole feeds on crustaceans, slugs, earthworms, larvae, and mollusks. In addition to the underground, aquatic lifestyle, it leads a terrestrial one. It can build nests in rotten stumps, hollows of old trees, under leaves. Prefers swampy areas, soil with high humidity. Often found near rivers, lakes, and swamps in the United States.

Interesting!

This representative of the mole family can easily live in pairs. The male helps the female raise and feed the babies. Unlike other relatives, it is less aggressive.

Representative of Australia, about whose life and behavior very little is known. Body size is about 20 cm, weight up to 90 g. A small tail is 2 cm. Body color is white, pink, brown. The wool is soft, thick, extremely beautiful.

The marsupial mole lives underground, but does not build a huge number of passages or tunnels; most of them are immediately buried behind itself. It seems that the animal is swimming in the sand. Leads a solitary lifestyle and finds the female by smell during the mating period.

Periodically appears on the surface, especially after rain. at a depth of 1 m. Its favorite food is beetle larvae; it also feeds on lizards and plant seeds. It can live no more than 17 hours without food.

Moles come in different sizes, differ somewhat in appearance, but lead an identical lifestyle. They are useful animals - they loosen the soil, destroy harmful insects, but with great activity they cause harm to agriculture, undermining the root system of plants in the process of digging tunnels. Farmers are doing this, trying to preserve their crops from underground pests.