The mole is among the most common and widespread of mammals in the UK, but because it spends most of its life in the tunnels that it digs, it is rarely seen. For most people, it is the familiar sight of molehills of soil in woods and fields and even on lawns which is their only experience of these secretive animals.
Moles are only about 15cm long. They have stout
forearms and broad front paws with strong claws which
give them the ability to tunnel so effectively underground.
Their body is roughly cylindrical with no neck and a pointed
nose, and they are covered in thick, dark fur.
Although moles are active both at night and during
the day, they spend almost all their time underground.
However, they do emerge from the
ground occasionally, usually during long periods of
dry weather when there is a shortage of food.
If you go out very early in the morning after a few
weeks without rain, you might be able to hear a
mole tearing clumps of grass while searching for
food. There is also the chance of seeing one as it
scurries from one feeding place to another.
they also feed on beetles and other insects, even
baby mice and occasionally shrews if they come
upon them while on the surface. A mole needs to
eat the equivalent of its own bodyweight each day.
In autumn they make a store of hundreds of
earthworms to last them through the winter. The
worms are usually chewed off at the front end so
they cannot crawl away, but remain alive and so
provide fresh food for several months.
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