Moles are small, subterranean mammals. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears, reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging. The word "mole" most commonly refers to many species in the family Talpidae (which are named after the Latin word for mole, talpa). True moles are found in most parts of North America, Europe (except for Ireland) and Asia. Other mammals referred to as moles include the African golden moles and the Australian marsupial moles, which have a similar ecology and lifestyle to true moles but are unrelated. Moles may be viewed as pests to gardeners, but they provide positive contributions to soil, gardens, and ecosystems, 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 moldwarps. By the era of Early Modern English, the mole was also known in English as mouldywarp or mouldiwarp, a word having cognates in other Germanic languages such as German (Maulwurf), and Danish, Norwegian, Swedish 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".
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 that has a higher affinity to oxygen 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 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, independently evolved but similar to the giant panda thumb. This supernumerary digit is species-specific, as it is not present in shrews, the mole's closest relatives. Androgenic steroids 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 primarily consists of earthworms 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 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 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 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's 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.
Social structure Moles appear to be 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 Talpidae 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. Moles were traditionally classified in the order Insectivora, but that order has since been abandoned because it has been shown to not be monophyletic. Moles are now classified with shrews and hedgehogs, in the more narrowly defined order Eulipotyphla.
Subfamily Scalopinae: New World moles Tribe Condylurini: Star-nosed mole (North America) Genus Condylura: Star-nosed mole (the sole species) Tribe Scalopini: New World moles Genus Alpiscaptulus: Medog mole (China) Genus Parascalops: Hairy-tailed mole (northeastern North America) Genus Scalopus: Eastern mole (North America) Genus Scapanulus: Gansu mole (China) Genus Scapanus: Western North American moles (five species) Subfamily Talpinae: Old World moles, desmans, and shrew moles Tribe Desmanini Genus Desmana: Russian desman Genus Galemys: Pyrenean desman Tribe Talpini: Old World moles Genus Euroscaptor: Ten Asian species Genus Mogera: Nine species from Japan, Korea, and eastern China Genus Parascaptor: White-tailed mole, southern Asia Genus Scaptochirus: Short-faced mole, China Genus Talpa: Thirteen species, Europe and western Asia Tribe Scaptonychini: Long-tailed mole Genus Scaptonyx: Long-tailed mole (China and Myanmar (Burma)) Tribe Urotrichini: Japanese shrew moles Genus Dymecodon: True's shrew mole Genus Urotrichus: Japanese shrew mole Tribe Neurotrichini: New World shrew moles Genus Neurotrichus: American shrew mole (US Pacific Northwest, southwest British Columbia) Subfamily Uropsilinae: Asian shrew moles Genus Uropsilus: Five species in China, Bhutan, and Myanmar (Burma)
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