Moles

This is an Eastern Mole, a member of the Talpidae family, of which it and other moles belong to. (This image is in the public domain.)

Moles are subterranean macro-fauna that belong to the family Talpidae. They are often considered pests due to their burrowing habits, which can disturb soil and damage plants, but this can be beneficial as well. Due to these habits, moles can be considered ecosystem engineers. There are seven identified species of mole in North America: the Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus), The Hairy-Tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri), the Star-Nosed Mole (Condylura cristata), the Broad-Footed Mole (Scapanus latimanus), Townsend’s Mole (Scapanus townsendii), the Coast Mole (Scapanus orarius) and the Shrew Mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii). [1] (This Page is currently under construction by Jason Kaczmarczyk)

Taxonomy

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Insectivora

Family: Talpidae

This simplified list omits sub-categories. Moles may be confused as rodents (Order Rodentia) but this is incorrect. For instance, as insectivores, moles feed on insects in the soil, while rodents do not, perhaps instead feeding on plant roots, of which the resulting damage may be incorrectly attributed to moles. [1]

Description

Moles are typically 6 - 43 cm, with tail lengths of 1.5 - 21.5 cm and masses of 12 - 220 g. [4] They are well-suited to subterranean lifestyles, often having long but narrow snouts for hunting in their tunnels and large forelimbs to carve their ways through the earth. [4] They prefer loose, moist, earthworm-abundant soils, typically in forested areas. [1] Their eyes and limbs are small, which are well-suited for an underground, burrowing lifestyle. [4]

Lifestyle

Moles are able to breathe in their cramped tunnels with blood adapted to have greater carbon dioxide capacities, allowing the mole to utilize and process air it has already used. [5]

Diet

Moles are insectivores that hunt below the surface. Generally, moles feast upon insects, slugs, grubs, and earthworms. [3] Their consumption of grubs is an often-overlooked benefit of moles, but their consumption of earthworms is also another detriment due to the plethora of benefits earthworms provide for soils.

Relationship with Humans

Moles have traditionally been considered pests, causing destruction to lawns, gardens, and farms, but moles can be beneficial for an area's soil. They can aerate it and prey on grubs, which often damage plant rots. [2] Nevertheless, moles are still usually considered undesirables due to their mole hills and mole runs, which are often considered undesirable in one's lawn. [3] These are both composed of disturbed dirt caused by burrowing. Do to their generally unwanted status, humans have developed a variety of ways to discourage, trap, or kill moles, with some methods being more effective than others. [1]

References

[1] F. Robert Henderson. "Moles". Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management. 2005. Retrieved 2018-04-16. http://icwdm.org/handbook/mammals/Moles.asp

[2] "Moles 'Can Benefit Gardeners'. Hartley Botanic. July 17, 2012. Retrieved 2018-04-16. https://hartley-botanic.com/magazine/801409421-moles-can-benefit-gardeners/

[3] "Facts About Moles". Havahart. http://www.havahart.com/mole-facts

[4] "Moles, Shrew Moles, And Desmans (Talpidae)". Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2018-04-19. https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/moles-shrew-moles-and-desmans-talpidae

[5] "Secret of how moles breathe underground revealed". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-04-19. https://web.archive.org/web/20100723133025/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7899216/Secret-of-how-moles-breathe-underground-revealed.html

[6] "How to get rid of moles". Exterminate.com. Retrieved 2018-04-19. http://www.extermine.com/moles.html