Mole

Moles are rarely seen as these blackish-brown mammals live mostly underground. They dig out a system of tunnels and chambers, and dispose of the excavated soil by throwing up molehills. Apart from the spring breeding season, moles lead largely solitary lives, so all the activity in a small garden could be due to a single animal. Moles feed on earthworms and other soil-dwelling creatures which fall into their tunnels. Moles constantly patrol their tunnels looking for these trapped invertebrates. Moles high metabolic rate means they have to eat at least every four hours. We do not advise live traps for moles because of their need to eat very frequently.

Mole: Description & Life Cycle

Moles are found throughout Britain except Ireland.

Description:

short, velvety black fur
spade like forelimbs designed for digging
small pointed, fleshy snout
very small eyes and poor eyesight
they are very sensitive to vibration which assists them to find their wriggling, moving prey
body length 112-160mm
weight 70-130g
they rarely live beyond 3 years

Life cycle:

female rears a litter of 3-4 young between February and June
young fully grown in 8-9 weeks
leave their parents tunnel systems after about five months and start their own systems or take over vacated systems
young are often reared in large 'fortress' molehills constructed specially for the purpose. Frequently these fortresses are constructed on land prone to flood, thus keeping the nest above the water table.