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ABOUT MOLES
The
only mole present in the British Isles, but not in
Ireland is Talpa Europea the European Mole.
Moles do
not hibernate but work throughout the year, and are
in the mammalian order of insectivore, which means
they live off insects including worms.
Most
people think that moles are completely black, but
they vary in colour from a silvery grey to black.
They have a short tail which is covered in sensory
hairs, which also appear on and around the chin, on
the face and around the back of the ears. When the
mole is working the tail is held semi-erect to brush
the tunnel walls to pick up vibrations passing
through the ground. These sensory organs around the
head allow the mole to detect worms and insects.
The eyes
are small and completely hidden in the fur to give
the appearance of being blind but it can still
differentiate between light and dark.
The ears
are small with no external flaps but the hearing is
very acute and is a feature of detecting predators,
and other moles.
The
average adult weighs about 80 grams with the female
being the lightest.
The
female has one litter a year, of between 2-7 but
usually 3-4. and breeding takes place around Feb to
June, the young are fully mature at 5 weeks and live
on average between 2 to 5 years.
Moles
have a well developed sense of smell and the male
and female have a pair of scent glands under the
skin which are connected to the urinary duct which
the moles use to mark their territory, and also in
the breeding season this helps to identify the sex
of the mole occupying the territory. Moles are
solitary but not has solitary as people
think. Sharing the main runs under hedges and fences,
but will defend their own territories aggressively.
Territories will overlap and this is why when a mole
is caught or vacates its territory another mole will
sense this that it has been vacated and will quickly
move into the vacated territory.
THIS
SENTENCE ALONE IS THE MAJOR COMPLAINT IN
MOLECATCHING CIRCLES.
The
moles have several layers of tunnels, shallow short
lived surface tunnels, and deeper tunnels used for
breeding and feeding. Moles build their nests of
local materials leaves or grass, and I have found
them completely made of wheat shoots. The large mole
FORTRESS the very large molehill one frequently
sees, are usually found in areas of high water
tables or on land which can become flooded. The mole
builds its nest above the water level to ensure the
nest is kept dry?. Moles are excellent swimmers and
in times of flood will swim to higher ground. This
also accounts for people who live next to streams
and rivers been constantly plagued by moles.
The main
food is the earthworm but they will feed off most
insects or molluscs. Moles work on a
sleeping/working pattern of approx 4 hours. If there
is a plentiful supply of food ,moles will bite the
head off worms and store them up for consumption
later
Moles
travel on top of the land as well as underneath it
and this is when they are most vulnerable to their
predators.
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