Moles are small mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears, reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful

forelimbs A forelimb or front limb is one of the paired articulated appendages (limbs) attached on the cranial (anterior) end of a terrestrial tetrapod vertebrate's torso. With reference to quadrupeds, the term foreleg or front leg is often used instead. ...

with large paws adapted for digging. The word “mole” refers to any species in the family

Talpidae The family Talpidae () includes the moles (some of whom are called shrew moles and desmans) who are small insectivorous mammals of the order Eulipotyphla. Talpids are all digging animals to various degrees: moles are completely subterranean ...

, which means “mole” in Latin. Moles are found in most parts of North America, Europe and Asia. Moles may be viewed as pests to gardeners, but they provide positive contributions to soil, gardens, and ecosystem, including soil aeration, feeding on slugs and small creatures that eat plant roots, and providing prey for other wildlife. They eat earthworms and other small invertebrates in the soil.

Terminology

In Middle English, moles were known as ''moldwarp''. The expression "don't make a mountain out of a molehill" (which means "exaggerating problems") was first recorded in Tudor times. By the era of

Early Modern English Early Modern English or Early New English (sometimes abbreviated EModE, EMnE, or ENE) is the stage of the English language from the beginning of the Tudor period to the English Interregnum and Restoration, or from the transition from Middle E ...

, the mole was also known in English as ''mouldywarp'', a word having

cognates In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical eff ...

in other

Germanic languages The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family spoken natively by a population of about 515 million people mainly in Europe, North America, Oceania and Southern Africa. The most widely spoken Germanic language, E ...

such as

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

(''Maulwurf''), and

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

and Icelandic (''muldvarp'', ''moldvarp'', ''mullvad'', ''moldvarpa''), where ''muld/mull/mold'' refers to soil and ''varp/vad/varpa'' refers to throwing, hence "one who throws soil" or "dirt-tosser". Male moles are called "boars", females are called "sows". A

group A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic ide ...

of moles is called a "labour".

Characteristics

Underground breathing

Moles have been found to tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide than other mammals, because their blood cells have a special form of

hemoglobin Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyt ...

that has a higher

affinity Affinity may refer to: Commerce, finance and law * Affinity (law), kinship by marriage * Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique * Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union * Affinity Equity Par ...

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...

than other forms. In addition, moles use oxygen more effectively by reusing the exhaled air, and can survive in low-oxygen environments such as burrows.

Extra thumbs

Moles have

polydactyl Polydactyly or polydactylism (), also known as hyperdactyly, is an anomaly in humans and animals resulting in supernumerary fingers and/or toes. Polydactyly is the opposite of oligodactyly (fewer fingers or toes). Signs and symptoms In humans ...

forepaws; each has an extra thumb (also known as a prepollex) next to the regular thumb. While the mole's other digits have multiple joints, the prepollex has a single, sickle-shaped bone that develops later and differently from the other fingers during embryogenesis from a transformed sesamoid bone in the

wrist In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as (1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand; "The wrist contains eight bones, roughly aligned in two rows, known as the carp ...

, independently evolved but similar to the giant panda thumb. This supernumerary digit is species-specific, as it is not present in

shrew Shrews (family Soricidae) are small mole-like mammals classified in the order Eulipotyphla. True shrews are not to be confused with treeshrews, otter shrews, elephant shrews, West Indies shrews, or marsupial shrews, which belong to differ ...

s, the mole's closest relatives.

Androgenic steroid An androgen (from Greek ''andr-'', the stem of the word meaning "man") is any natural or synthetic steroid hormone that regulates the development and maintenance of male characteristics in vertebrates by binding to androgen receptors. This incl ...

s are known to affect the growth and formation of bones, and a connection is possible between this species-specific trait and the "male" genital apparatus in female moles of many mole species ( gonads with testicular and ovary tissues).

Diet

Moles are omnivores, but their diet does primarily consist of

earthworm An earthworm is a terrestrial invertebrate that belongs to the phylum Annelida. They exhibit a tube-within-a-tube body plan; they are externally segmented with corresponding internal segmentation; and they usually have setae on all segments. T ...

s and other small invertebrates found in the soil. The mole runs are in reality "worm traps", the mole sensing when a worm falls into the tunnel and quickly running along to kill and eat it. Because their saliva contains a

toxin A toxin is a naturally occurring organic poison produced by metabolic activities of living cells or organisms. Toxins occur especially as a protein or conjugated protein. The term toxin was first used by organic chemist Ludwig Brieger (1849 ...

that can paralyze earthworms, moles are able to store their still-living prey for later consumption. They construct special underground "larders" for just this purpose; researchers have discovered such larders with over a thousand earthworms in them. Before eating earthworms, moles pull them between their squeezed paws to force the collected earth and dirt out of the worm's gut. The

star-nosed mole The star-nosed mole (''Condylura cristata'') is a small semiaquatic mole found in moist, low areas in the northern parts of North America. It is the only extant member of the tribe Condylurini and genus ''Condylura'', and it has more than 25, ...

can detect, catch and eat food faster than the human eye can follow.

Breeding

Breeding season for a mole depends on species, but is generally from February through to May. Males search for females by letting out high-pitched squeals and tunneling through foreign areas. The gestation period of the Eastern (North America) mole (Scalopus aquaticus) is approximately 42 days. Three to five young are born, mainly in March and early April. Townsend moles mate in February and March, and the 2–4 young are born in March and April after a gestation period of about 1 month. The Townsend mole is endangered in the United States and Canada. Coast moles produce a litter of 2–5 pups between March and April. Pups leave the nest 33 days after birth to find territories of their own. They disperse from their mother’s range around 5–6 weeks and they become sexually mature during the spring following their birth.

Social structure

Allegedly moles are solitary creatures, coming together only to mate. Territories may overlap, but moles avoid each other and males may fight fiercely if they meet.

Classification

The family

contains all the true moles and some of their close relatives. Those species called " shrew moles" represent an intermediate form between the moles and their shrew ancestors, and as such may not be fully described by the article. On the other hand, there is no monophyletic relation between the mole and the

hedgehog A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...

, both of which were previously placed in the now-abandoned order

Insectivora The order Insectivora (from Latin ''insectum'' "insect" and ''vorare'' "to eat") is a now-abandoned biological grouping within the class of mammals. Some species have now been moved out, leaving the remaining ones in the order Eulipotyphla, wi ...

. As a result,

Eulipotyphla Eulipotyphla (, which means "truly fat and blind") is an order of mammals suggested by molecular methods of phylogenetic reconstruction, which includes the laurasiatherian members of the now-invalid polyphyletic order Lipotyphla, but not the ...

(shrew-like animals, including moles), previously within Insectivora, has been elevated to the level of an order. * Subfamily

Scalopinae The Scalopinae, or New World moles, are one of three subfamilies of the family Talpidae, which consists of moles and mole-like animals; the other two subfamilies being the Old World talpids (the Talpinae) and the Chinese shrew-like moles ( Urops ...

: New World moles ** Tribe

Condylurini ''Condylura'' is a genus of moles that contains a single extant species, the star-nosed mole ''(Condylura cristata)'' endemic to the northern parts of North America. It is also the only living member of the tribe Condylurini. While today endemic ...

Star-nosed mole (North America) *** Genus ''

Condylura ''Condylura'' is a genus of moles that contains a single extant species, the star-nosed mole ''(Condylura cristata)'' endemic to the northern parts of North America. It is also the only living member of the tribe Condylurini. While today endemic ...

'': Star-nosed mole (the sole species) ** Tribe

Scalopini The Scalopini are a tribe of moles belonging to the family Talpidae. They include all the New World moles apart from the strikingly distinctive star-nosed mole. As the similarity of the names implies, they are the standard form of the Scalopinae ...

New World moles *** Genus '' Alpiscaptulus'': Medog mole (China) ***Genus ''

Parascalops The hairy-tailed mole (''Parascalops breweri''), also known as Brewer's mole, is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of the genus ''Parascalops''. The species epithet ''breweri'' refers to Thomas Mayo Brewer, an American n ...

'': Hairy-tailed mole (northeastern North America) *** Genus ''

Scalopus The Eastern Mole or Common Mole (''Scalopus aquaticus'') is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of genus ''Scalopus''. It is found in forested and open areas with moist sandy soils in northern Mexico, the eastern Unite ...

'': Eastern mole (North America) *** Genus ''

Scapanulus The Gansu mole (''Scapanulus oweni'') is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae endemic to central China, where it occurs in Shaanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, and Qinghai. It is the only species in the genus ''Scapanulus''. Along with the Medog ...

'': Gansu mole (China) *** Genus ''

Scapanus ''Scapanus'' is a genus of mole (animal), moles in the family Talpidae. They live in North America from west of the Rocky Mountains, Rockies south to Baja California, Baja California del Norte, and north to British Columbia, wherever conditions ...

'': Western North American moles (five species) * Subfamily

Talpinae The subfamily Talpinae, sometimes called "Old World moles" or "Old World moles and relatives", is one of three subfamilies of the mole family Talpidae, the others being the Scalopinae, or New World moles, and the Uropsilinae, or shrew-like moles. ...

: Old World moles, desmans, and shrew moles **Tribe Desmanini ***Genus ''

Desmana ''Desmana'' is a genus of mole that contains a single living species, the Russian desman ''(Desmana moschata)''. A number of fossil species are known from throughout Eurasia. The oldest species is ''Desmana marci'' from the earliest Pliocene of ...

:''

Russian desman The Russian desman (''Desmana moschata'') (russian: выхухоль ''vykhukhol'') is a small semiaquatic mammal that inhabits the Volga, Don and Ural River basins in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. It constructs burrows into the banks of pond ...

***Genus ''

Galemys ''Galemys'' is a genus of mole containing the living Pyrenean desman ''(Galemys pyrenaicus)'' and several fossil species. Many of these extinct species were far more widespread than the living species; for example, the Early Pleistocene ''Galemy ...

:''

Pyrenean desman The Pyrenean desman also called Iberian desman (''Galemys pyrenaicus'') is a small semiaquatic, globally threatened mammal related to moles and shrews, and, along with the Russian desman (''Desmana moschata''), is one of the two extant members ...

**Tribe

Talpini Talpini is a tribe of mammals known as Old World Moles. It is a division of the subfamily Talpinae. This tribe contains the following genera and species: * Tribe Talpini ** Genus '' Euroscaptor'' *** Greater Chinese mole, ''E. grandis'' ** ...

: Old World moles *** Genus ''

Euroscaptor ''Euroscaptor'' is a genus of mammal in the family Talpidae. Members are found in China and South & Southeast Asia. It contains the following species as of October 2021: * Greater Chinese mole (''Euroscaptor grandis'') * Kloss's mole (''Euros ...

'': Ten Asian species *** Genus ''

Mogera ''Mogera'' is a genus of mammals in the family Talpidae. Moles in this genus differ from Old World moles in the genus ''Talpa'' in having one fewer pairs of lower incisors and in having larger hind premolars in the lower jaw. Species The gen ...

'' Nine species from Japan, Korea, and eastern China *** Genus '' Parascaptor'':

White-tailed mole The white-tailed mole (''Parascaptor leucura'') is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is found in Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventi ...

, southern Asia *** Genus '' Scaptochirus'': Short-faced mole, China *** Genus ''

Talpa Talpa may refer to: Places * Talpa, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran * Talpa, Teleorman, a commune in Teleorman County, Romania * Talpa, a village in Cândeşti Commune, Botoşani County, Romania * Talpa, a village in Bârgăuani Com ...

'' Thirteen species, Europe and western Asia ** Tribe Scaptonychini Long-tailed mole *** Genus '' Scaptonyx'': Long-tailed mole (China and Myanmar (Burma)) ** Tribe

Urotrichini Urotrichini is a tribe of the mole family, and consists of Japanese and American shrew-moles. They belong to the Old World moles and relatives branch of the mole family (Talpidae). There are only two species, each of which represents its own g ...

: Japanese shrew moles *** Genus '' Dymecodon'': True’s shrew mole *** Genus '' Urotrichus'': Japanese shrew mole ** Tribe

Neurotrichini Neurotrichini is a tribe within the subfamily Talpinae of the mole family. It includes the living genus '' Neurotrichus'' with a single living species, the American shrew-mole (''Neurotrichus gibbsii''). While today restricted to the New World, f ...

New World shrew moles *** Genus ''

Neurotrichus ''Neurotrichus'' is a genus of shrew-like moles. It is classified, together with the fossil genus '' Quyania'', in the tribe Neurotrichini of the subfamily Talpinae. The only living species is the American shrew-mole (''N. gibbsii'') of the n ...

'': American shrew mole (US Pacific Northwest, southwest British Columbia) * Subfamily

Uropsilinae The shrew moles or shrew-like moles (''Uropsilus'') are shrew-like members of the mole family of mammals endemic to the forested, high-alpine region bordering China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. They possess a long snout, a long slender tail, external ...

: Asian shrew moles ** Genus '' Uropsilus'' Five species in China, Bhutan, and Myanmar (Burma)

Other "moles"

While many groups of burrowing animals ( pink fairy armadillos,

tuco-tuco A tuco-tuco is a neotropical rodent in the family Ctenomyidae.Parada, A., G. D’Elia, C.J. Bidau, and E.P. Lessa. 2011. Species Groups and the Evolutionary Diversification of Tuco-Tucos, genus ''Ctenomys'' (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae). ''Journal of M ...

mole rat Mole-rat or mole rat can refer to several groups of burrowing Old World rodents: * Bathyergidae, a family of about 20 hystricognath species in six genera from Africa also called blesmols. *'' Heterocephalus glaber'', the naked mole-rat. * Spalaci ...

mole cricket Mole crickets are members of the insect family Gryllotalpidae, in the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets). Mole crickets are cylindrical-bodied, fossorial insects about long as adults, with small eyes and shovel-like fore ...

s, and

mole crabs Hippoidea is a superfamily of decapod crustaceans known as sand crabs or mole crabs. Ecology Hippoids are adapted to burrowing into sandy beaches, a habit they share with raninid crabs, and the parallel evolution of the two groups is striking ...

) have developed close physical similarities with moles due to

convergent evolution Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last com ...

, two of these are so similar to true moles, they are commonly called and thought of as "moles" in common English, although they are completely unrelated to true moles or to each other. These are the

golden mole Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, family Talpidae, and other mole-like families, all ...

s of southern Africa and the

marsupial mole Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae , are highly specialized marsupial mammals, known from two species found at the Australian interior. * ''Notoryctes typhlops'' (southern marsupial mole, known as the ''itjaritjari'' by the Pitjantjatjara and Yan ...

s of Australia. While difficult to distinguish from each other, they are most easily distinguished from true moles by shovel-like patches on their noses, which they use in tandem with their abbreviated forepaws to swim through sandy soils.

Golden moles

The golden moles belong to the same branch on the phylogenetic tree as the

tenrec A tenrec is any species of mammal within the afrotherian family Tenrecidae endemic to Madagascar. Tenrecs are wildly diverse; as a result of convergent evolution some resemble hedgehogs, shrews, opossums, rats, and mice. They occupy aquatic, a ...

s, called

Tenrecomorpha Tenrecomorpha is the suborder of otter shrews and tenrecs, a group of afrotherian mammals indigenous to equatorial Africa and Madagascar, respectively. The two families are thought to have split about 47–53 million years ago. Potamogalid ot ...

, which, in turn, stem from a main branch of

placental Placental mammals (infraclass Placentalia ) are one of the three extant subdivisions of the class Mammalia, the other two being Monotremata and Marsupialia. Placentalia contains the vast majority of extant mammals, which are partly distinguishe ...

mammals called the

Afrosoricida The order Afrosoricida (a Latin-Greek compound name which means "looking like African shrews") contains the golden moles of Southern Africa, the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar. These three families of small mamm ...

. This means that they share a closer common ancestor with such existing afrosoricids as

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

manatee Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living speci ...

s and

aardvark The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlik ...

s than they do with other placental mammals, such as true Talpidae moles. * ORDER

AFROSORICIDA The order Afrosoricida (a Latin-Greek compound name which means "looking like African shrews") contains the golden moles of Southern Africa, the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar. These three families of small mamm ...

** Suborder

*** Family Tenrecidae: tenrecs, 34 species in 10 genera ** Suborder Chrysochloridea *** Family Chrysochloridae **** Subfamily Chrysochlorinae ***** Genus ''

Carpitalpa Arends' golden mole (''Carpitalpa arendsi'') is a species of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It is found in Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry, and moist montane forests, dry ...

'' ****** Arends' golden mole (''Carpitalpa arendsi'') ***** Genus ''

Chlorotalpa ''Chlorotalpa'' is a genus of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It contains the following species: * Duthie's golden mole Duthie's golden mole (''Chlorotalpa duthieae'') is a species of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It is endemi ...

'' ****** Duthie's golden mole (''Chlorotalpa duthieae'') ******

Sclater's golden mole Sclater's golden mole (''Chlorotalpa sclateri'') is a species of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry and high-altitude shrubland, Mediterranean-type s ...

(''Chlorotalpa sclateri'') ***** Genus ''

Chrysochloris ''Chrysochloris'' is a genus of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It contains the following species: * Subgenus ''Chrysochloris'' **Cape golden mole The Cape golden mole (''Chrysochloris asiatica'') is a small, insectivorous mammal of ...

'' ****** Subgenus ''Chrysochloris'' *******

Cape golden mole The Cape golden mole (''Chrysochloris asiatica'') is a small, insectivorous mammal of the family Chrysochloridae, the golden mole Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family ...

(''Chrysochloris asiatica'') ******* Visagie's golden mole (''Chrysochloris visagiei'') ****** Subgenus ''Kilimatalpa'' ******* Stuhlmann's golden mole (''Chrysochloris stuhlmanni'') ***** Genus ''

Chrysospalax ''Chrysospalax'' is a small genus of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. The two members are endemic to South Africa. It contains the following species: * Rough-haired golden mole (''Chrysospalax villosus'') * Giant golden mole The giant gol ...

'' ****** Giant golden mole (''Chrysospalax trevelyani'') ****** Rough-haired golden mole (''Chrysospalax villosus'') ***** Genus ''

Cryptochloris ''Cryptochloris'' is a genus of golden mole Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, fami ...

'' ****** De Winton's golden mole (''Cryptochloris wintoni'') ****** Van Zyl's golden mole (''Cryptochloris zyli'') ***** Genus ''

Eremitalpa Grant's golden mole (''Eremitalpa granti''; colloquially also: ''dune shark'') is a golden mole species. It is the only member of the genus ''Eremitalpa''. Attributes Like all other golden moles, the build of these animals is similar to the mo ...

'' ******

Grant's golden mole Grant's golden mole (''Eremitalpa granti''; colloquially also: ''dune shark'') is a golden mole species. It is the only member of the genus ''Eremitalpa''. Attributes Like all other golden moles, the build of these animals is similar to the m ...

(''Eremitalpa granti'') **** Subfamily

Amblysominae Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, family Talpidae, and other mole-like families, all ...

***** Genus ''

Amblysomus ''Amblysomus'' (also narrow-headed golden mole or South African golden mole) is a genus of the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae, comprising five species of the small, insect-eating, burrowing mammals endemic to Southern Africa. All five spec ...

'' ******

Fynbos golden mole The fynbos golden mole (''Amblysomus corriae'') is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitats are fynbos vegetation, temperate forests, shrubland, and grassland, subtropi ...

(''Amblysomus corriae'') ******

Hottentot golden mole The Hottentot golden mole (''Amblysomus hottentotus'') is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and possibly Lesotho. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or ...

(''Amblysomus hottentotus'') ******

Marley's golden mole Marley's golden mole (''Amblysomus marleyi'') is a species of burrowing mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is found in South Africa and possibly Eswatini. It has been separated from ''Amblysomus hottentotus'' by Bronner (1995 ...

(''Amblysomus marleyi'') ******

Robust golden mole The robust golden mole (''Amblysomus robustus'') is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is endemic to parts of Mpumalanga province in South Africa. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropi ...

(''Amblysomus robustus'') ******

Highveld golden mole The highveld golden mole (''Amblysomus septentrionalis'') is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is found in South Africa and Eswatini. Its natural habitats are forests, moist savanna, temperate shrubland and gras ...

(''Amblysomus septentrionalis'') ***** Genus ''

Calcochloris ''Calcochloris'' is a genus of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It contains the following species: * Yellow golden mole (''Calcochloris obtusirostris'') * Somali golden mole The Somali golden mole (''Calcochloris tytonis'') is a golden ...

'' ****** Subgenus ''Huetia'' ******* Congo golden mole (''Calcochloris leucorhinus'') ****** Subgenus ''Calcochloris'' ******* Yellow golden mole (''Calcochloris obtusirostris'') ****** Subgenus ''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

'' *******

Somali golden mole The Somali golden mole (''Calcochloris tytonis'') is a golden mole endemic to Somalia. In 1964, Dr. Alberto Simonetta of the University of Florence discovered the mole's jaw and ear bone fragments in a barn owl pellet in Giohar, Somalia. The Som ...

(''Calcochloris tytonis'') ***** Genus '' Neamblysomus'' ****** Juliana's golden mole (''Neamblysomus julianae'') ******

Gunning's golden mole Gunning's golden mole (''Neamblysomus gunningi'') is a small mammal endemic to South Africa. It was listed in 2006 as an endangered species. Its decreasing numbers are due to habitat clearance or destruction and predation from domesticated cats a ...

(''Neamblysomus gunningi'')

Marsupial moles

As marsupials, these moles are even more distantly related to true talpid moles than golden moles are, both of which belong to the

Eutheria Eutheria (; from Greek , 'good, right' and , 'beast'; ) is the clade consisting of all therian mammals that are more closely related to placentals than to marsupials. Eutherians are distinguished from noneutherians by various phenotypic tra ...

, or placental mammals. This means that they are more closely related to such existing Australian marsupials as

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...

s or

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the w ...

s, and even to a lesser extent to American marsupials, such as opossums, than they are to placental mammals, such as golden or Talpidae moles. Class Mammalia *Subclass

Prototheria Prototheria (; from Greek πρώτος, ''prōtos'', first, + θήρ, ''thēr'', wild animal) is a subclass to which the orders Monotremata, Morganucodonta, Docodonta, Triconodonta and Multituberculata have been assigned, although the validity ...

: monotremes (

echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...

s and the

platypus The platypus (''Ornithorhynchus anatinus''), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The platypus is the sole living representative or mono ...

) *Subclass Theriiformes: live-bearing mammals and their prehistoric relatives **Infraclass

Holotheria Mammalia is a class of animal within the phylum Chordata. Mammal classification has been through several iterations since Carl Linnaeus initially defined the class. No classification system is universally accepted; McKenna & Bell (1997) and Wilso ...

: modern live-bearing mammals and their prehistoric relatives ***Supercohort

Theria Theria (; Greek: , wild beast) is a subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-laying monotremes. ...

: live-bearing mammals ****Cohort

Marsupialia Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a po ...

: marsupials *****Magnorder

Ameridelphia Ameridelphia is traditionally a superorder that includes all marsupials living in the Americas except for the Monito del monte (''Dromiciops''). It is now regarded as a paraphyletic group. Orders The orders within this group are listed below: * ...

: New World marsupials ****** Order Didelphimorphia (opossums) ****** Order

Paucituberculata Paucituberculata is an order of South American marsupials. Although currently represented only by the seven living species of shrew opossums, this order was formerly much more diverse, with more than 60 extinct species named from the fossil rec ...

(shrew opossums) *****Superorder Australidelphia Australian marsupials ****** Order

Dasyuromorphia Dasyuromorphia (, meaning "hairy tail" in Greek) is an order comprising most of the Australian carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the numbat, the Tasmanian devil, and the thylacine. In Australia, the exceptions include the omn ...

(the Tasmanian devil, the numbat, thylacines, quolls, dunnarts and others) ****** Order

Peramelemorphia The order Peramelemorphia includes the bandicoots and bilbies; it equates approximately to the mainstream of marsupial omnivores. All members of the order are endemic to the twin land masses of Australia-New Guinea and most have the character ...

(bilbies, bandicoots and rainforest bandicoots) ****** Order

Diprotodontia Diprotodontia (, from Greek "two forward teeth") is the largest extant order of marsupials, with about 155 species, including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the hippopotamus-sized ...

(koalas, wombats, diprotodonts, possums, cuscuses, sugar gliders, kangaroos and others) ****** Order

Notoryctemorphia Notoryctidae is a family of mammals, allying several extant and fossil species of Australia. The group appear to have diverged from other marsupials at an early stage and are highly specialised to foraging through loose sand; the unusual feature ...

(marsupial moles and closely related extinct families of marsupials) ******* Family

Notoryctidae Notoryctidae is a family of mammals, allying several extant and fossil species of Australia. The group appear to have diverged from other marsupials at an early stage and are highly specialised to foraging through loose sand; the unusual feature ...

(living and extinct marsupial mole genera) ******** Genus

Notoryctes Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae , are highly specialized marsupial mammals, known from two species found at the Australian interior. * ''Notoryctes typhlops'' (southern marsupial mole, known as the ''itjaritjari'' by the Pitjantjatjara and Yan ...

(only genus of marsupial moles with living species) ********* Species ''

Notoryctes typhlops The southern marsupial mole (''Notoryctes typhlops''), also known as the itjaritjari () or itjari-itjari, is a mole-like marsupial found in the western central deserts of Australia. It is extremely adapted to a burrowing way of life. It has larg ...

'' (southern marsupial mole) ********* Species ''

Notoryctes caurinus The northern marsupial mole or kakarratul (''Notoryctes caurinus'') is a marsupial in the family Notoryctidae, an endemic animal of arid regions of Central Australia. It lives in the loose sand of dunes and river plains in the desert, spending ne ...

'' (northern marsupial mole)

Interaction with humans

Pelts

Moles' pelts have a velvety texture not found in surface animals. Surface-dwelling animals tend to have longer fur with a natural tendency for the

nap A nap is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours. A nap is a form of biphasic or polyphasic sl ...

to lie in a particular direction, but to facilitate their burrowing lifestyle, mole pelts are short and very dense and have no particular direction to the nap. This makes it easy for moles to move backwards underground, as their fur is not "brushed the wrong way". The leather is extremely soft and supple.

Queen Alexandra Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 January 1901 t ...

, the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom, ordered a mole-fur garment to start a fashion that would create a demand for mole fur, thereby turning what had been a serious pest problem in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

into a lucrative industry for the country. Hundreds of pelts are cut into rectangles and sewn together to make a coat. The natural color is

taupe Taupe ( ) is a dark gray-brown color. The word derives from the French noun ''taupe'' meaning "mole". The name originally referred only to the average color of the French mole, but beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wide ...

, (derived from the French noun ''taupe'' meaning mole) but it is readily dyed any color.

Pest status - extermination and humane options

Moles are considered agricultural

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

in some countries, while in others, such as

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, they are a

protected species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invas ...

, but may be killed with a permit. Problems cited as caused by moles include contamination of

silage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants (cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage ...

with soil particles, making it unpalatable to

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

, the covering of pasture with fresh soil reducing its size and yield, damage to agricultural machinery by the exposure of stones, damage to young plants through disturbance of the soil, weed invasion of pasture through exposure of freshly tilled soil, and damage to drainage systems and watercourses. Other species such as

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender b ...

s and

vole Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a longer, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller eyes and ears; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of lo ...

s may use mole tunnels to gain access to enclosed areas or plant roots. Moles burrow and raise

molehill A molehill (or mole-hill, mole mound) is a conical mound of loose soil raised by small burrowing mammals, including moles, but also similar animals such as mole-rats, and voles. The word is first recorded in the first half of the 15th century. ...

s, killing parts of

lawns A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses and other durable plants such as clover which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower (or sometimes grazing animals) and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes. L ...

. They can undermine plant roots, indirectly causing damage or death. Moles do not eat plant roots. Op scherp staande mollenklem

Moles are controlled with traps such as mole-catchers, smoke bombs, and poisons such as

calcium carbide Calcium carbide, also known as calcium acetylide, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula of Ca C2. Its main use industrially is in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide. The pure material is colorless, while pieces of te ...

, which produces acetylene gas to drive moles away. Strychnine was also used for this purpose in the past. The most common method now is Phostoxin or Talunex tablets. They contain

aluminium phosphide Aluminium phosphide is a highly toxic inorganic compound with the chemical formula AlP, used as a wide band gap semiconductor and a fumigant. This colorless solid is generally sold as a grey-green-yellow powder due to the presence of impurities a ...

and are inserted in the mole tunnels, where they turn into

phosphine Phosphine (IUPAC name: phosphane) is a colorless, flammable, highly toxic compound with the chemical formula , classed as a pnictogen hydride. Pure phosphine is odorless, but technical grade samples have a highly unpleasant odor like rotting ...

gas (not be confused with phosgene gas). More recently, high-grade

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

gas has proven effective at killing moles, with the added advantage of having no polluting effect to the environment. Other common defensive measures include cat litter and

blood meal Blood meal is a dry, inert powder made from blood, used as a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer and a high protein animal feed. N = 13.25%, P = 1.0%, K = 0.6%. It is one of the highest non-synthetic sources of nitrogen. It usually comes from cattle ...

, to repel the mole, or smoking its burrow. Devices are also sold to trap the mole in its burrow, when one sees the "mole hill" moving and therefore knows where the animal is, and then stabbing it. Other humane options are also possible including humane traps that capture the mole alive so it may be transported elsewhere. In many contexts including ordinary gardens, the damage caused by moles to lawns is mostly visual, and it is possible instead of extermination to simply remove the earth of the molehills as they appear, leaving their permanent galleries for the moles to continue their existence underground. However, when the tunnels are near the surface in soft ground or after heavy rain, they may collapse, leaving (small) unsightly furrows in the lawn.

Meat

William Buckland William Buckland DD, FRS (12 March 1784 – 14 August 1856) was an English theologian who became Dean of Westminster. He was also a geologist and palaeontologist. Buckland wrote the first full account of a fossil dinosaur, which he named ' ...

, known for eating every animal he could, opined that mole meat tasted vile.

The mole in prophetic literature

According to the first prophecy of the 'Six Kings to follow King John', written about 1312, the six kings could be likened to animals. The sixth king after

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

would be the

Mouldwarp A mouldwarp is an ancient dialect word for a mole (''Talpa europaea''). However, a mediaeval prophecy declared that the sixth King of England after King John would be the 'Mouldwarp', a proud, contemptible and cowardly person, having a skin like ...

or Mole, who would be proud, contemptible and cowardly, having a skin like a goat. The prophecy gained popularity during the 14th century and was used by the enemies of Henry IV alluded to by Shakespeare in Henry IV, Part 1. It was again used during the disturbances leading to the

Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...

1535-7 but this time was applied by the rebels to Henry VIII.

References

External links

UK Government DEFRA paper on control the European mole

British Traditional Molecatchers Register
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mole (Animal) Agricultural pests Body plans Mammal common names de:Maulwürfe eo:Talpo