Unusual Animals:
MOLES
How much do you know about moles? Tidbits has all the particulars on this small burrowing animal. • It’s highly likely you’ve never seen a mole. That’s because they live secluded lives in underground burrows, and only rarely do they come above ground. They are able to reuse the oxygen they inhale on their brief trips to the surface, enabling them to survive in the lower levels of oxygen of the underground. • The average mole’s body is only about 6 inches long, weighing between 2.5 and 4.5 ounces. The width of the tunnels they excavate is only about 2 inches wide and 1.5 inches in height, yet these passageways can extend for more than 75 yards. • Moles’ legs are short, but powerful. They use their very broad front feet and huge curved claws as shovels to dig their tunnels. They are able to move backwards nearly as quickly as forward. The moles aren’t the only ones to use their tunnels. Other small mammals such as voles and mice move through them, feeding on any grains and seeds they find. • Moles are not social animals and they tend to avoid each other, except in breeding season. Every mole has its own tunnel system, which includes a special “larder” or underground storeroom to store food to eat later. Their primary diet is earthworms, which the mole paralyzes with a toxin found in its saliva. Researchers have discovered larders containing over a thousand paralyzed earthworms. Moles also dig special compartments at the end of their tunnels for bedrooms and birthing areas.
• It takes a lot of energy to be constantly burrowing and the mole eats from 70% to 10% of its body weight every day. This translates to a 2.8-oz. mole needing about 1.7 oz. of earthworms every day. It can starve to death if it doesn’t eat every few hours. • The star-nosed mole can detect, catch, and consume its food in less than one second! • A mole’s fur is soft and velvety and is often highly valued. Baby moles are born without any fur, which starts growing at about two weeks. The little creatures grow quickly and leave the nest when they are 35 days old. Their eyes are very tiny and are covered with skin or fur. The moles aren’t completely blind, but they see very poorly. Since they live in the dark the majority of their lives, good eyesight isn’t a crucial thing. They are sensitive to changes in light and movement. They find their prey through scent sensors on the tip of their nose. They also have no external ears. • Although moles often consume many insects and grubs that cause damage to lawns and gardens, they are generally perceived as pests, as their tunneling produces unsightly mounds of earth. Their burrowing can also damage the roots of plants underground. Damage to agricultural machinery can also result from the moles exposing rocks in a field, as well as damage to drainage systems and waterways. • The tiny male mole is referred to as a boar, the female is a sow, and the term for a group of moles is a labour.
Answer
Weekly SUDOKU
Answer
King CROSSWORD
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