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Mole (animal)

January 01, 1970

This article is about the mammals called "moles". For other uses, see Mole (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with vole, a small mouse-like rodent.

Moles are small mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears,[1] reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging.

A European mole
Various moles

The word "mole" refers to any species in the family Talpidae, from the Latin word for mole, talpa.[2] Moles are found in most parts of North America, Europe and Asia.[3]

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.[4][5]

Terminology edit

In Middle English, moles were known as moldwarps. The expression "don't make a mountain out of a molehill" (which means "exaggerating problems") was first recorded in Tudor times.[6] By the era of Early Modern English, the mole was also known in English as mouldywarp or mouldiwarp,[i] a word having cognates in other Germanic languages such as German (Maulwurf),[7] 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 edit

Underground breathing edit

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.[8]

Extra thumbs edit

 
Mole paw

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).[9]

Diet edit

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.[10] 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.[11]

The star-nosed mole can detect, catch and eat food faster than the human eye can follow.[12]

Breeding edit

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.[13]

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.[14] The Townsend mole is endangered in the United States and Canada.[15]

Coast moles produce a litter of 2–5 pups between March and April.[15]

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.[16]

Social structure edit

Allegedly moles are solitary creatures, coming together only to mate.[17] Territories may overlap, but moles avoid each other and males may fight fiercely if they meet.[18]

Classification edit

 
Uropsilus
 
Northern broad-footed mole
Further information: List of talpids

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.

On the other hand, there is no monophyletic relation between the mole and the hedgehog, both of which were previously placed in the now-abandoned order Insectivora. As a result, Eulipotyphla (shrew-like animals, including moles), previously within Insectivora, has been elevated to the level of an order.[19]

Other "moles" edit

While many groups of burrowing animals (pink fairy armadillos, tuco-tucos, mole rats, mole crickets, and mole crabs) have developed close physical similarities with moles due to convergent evolution, 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 moles of southern Africa and the marsupial moles 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 edit

The golden moles belong to the same branch on the phylogenetic tree as the tenrecs, called Tenrecomorpha, which, in turn, stem from a main branch of placental mammals called the Afrosoricida. This means that they share a closer common ancestor with such existing afrosoricids as elephants, manatees and aardvarks than they do with other placental mammals, such as true Talpidae moles.

Marsupial moles edit

 
A marsupial mole

As marsupials, these moles are even more distantly related to true talpid moles than golden moles are, both of which belong to the Eutheria, or placental mammals. This means that they are more closely related to such existing Australian marsupials as kangaroos or koalas, 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

Interaction with humans edit

Pelts edit

 
Advertisement in Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1921

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 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, 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 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, (derived from the French noun taupe meaning mole) but it is readily dyed any color.[20]

The term "moleskin" for a tough cotton fabric is in common use today.

Pest status - extermination and humane options edit

 
Molehills in eastern Bohemia

Moles are considered agricultural pests in some countries, while in others, such as Germany, they are a protected species, but may be killed with a permit. Problems cited as caused by moles include contamination of silage with soil particles, making it unpalatable to livestock, 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 weasels and voles may use mole tunnels to gain access to enclosed areas or plant roots.

Moles burrow and raise molehills, killing parts of lawns. They can undermine plant roots, indirectly causing damage or death. Moles do not eat plant roots.[21]

 
A mole trap

Moles are controlled with traps such as mole-catchers, smoke bombs, and poisons such as calcium carbide, 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 and are inserted in the mole tunnels, where they turn into phosphine gas (not be confused with phosgene gas). More recently, high-grade nitrogen gas has proven effective at killing moles, with the added advantage of having no polluting effect to the environment.[21]

Other common defensive measures include cat litter and blood meal, 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.[21] 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.[21] 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 edit

William Buckland, known for eating every animal he could, opined that mole meat tasted vile.[22]

The mole in prophetic literature edit

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 would be the Mouldwarp 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 1535–7 but this time was applied by the rebels to Henry VIII.

Archaeology edit

Moles can inadvertently help archaeologists by bringing small artifacts to the surface through their digging. By examining molehills for sherds and other small objects, archaeologists can find evidence of human habitation.[23]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Also Mouldwarp, Moldiwarp, Moldywarp.

References edit

  1. ^ Kott, Ondřej; Sumbera, Radim; Nemec, Pavel (2010). Iwaniuirst, Andrew (ed.). "Light Perception in Two Strictly Subterranean Rodents: Life in the Dark or Blue?". PLOS ONE. 5 (7): e11810. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...511810K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011810. PMC 2911378. PMID 20676369.
  2. ^ Riddle, Joseph Edmond (1838). A Complete English-Latin Dictionary, for the Use of Colleges and Schools. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green and Longmans, Paternoster-Row; and John Murray, Albemarle Street. p. 193.
  3. ^ Campbell, Kevin. "Mole Distribution Maps". University of Manitoba. from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  4. ^ Arlton, A.V. (1936). "An Ecological Study of the Mole". Journal of Mammalogy. 17 (4): 349–371. doi:10.2307/1374401. JSTOR 1374401.
  5. ^ Streitberger, Merle (2016). Ants and Moles as Ecosystem Engineers: The Role of Small-scale Disturbance for Biodiversity in Central European Grasslands. Osnabrück.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ Roper, William (1557) Life of Sir Thomas More 23 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ Rackham, Oliver, The Illustrated History of the Countryside page 130 (quoting J. Seddon, The boke of surveying and improvments – [sic]) ISBN 0-297-84335-4
  8. ^ . The Telegraph. 20 July 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. ^ . University of Zurich. 12 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  10. ^ . Pest-management.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. ^ Attenborough, David (2002). The life of mammals. London: BBC. p. 44. ISBN 0563534230.
  12. ^ Salisbury, David F. (2 February 2005). . EurekAlert. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  13. ^ . Icwdm.org. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  14. ^ Scapanus townsendii 13 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine. California Department of Fish and Game
  15. ^ a b "Coast Mole Control and Trapping". Animalcontrolsolutions.com.
  16. ^ "Species – Mole". The Mammal Society. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  17. ^ "Moles | What Do Moles Eat & Other Facts About Moles". The RSPB. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  18. ^ Kowalski, Kazimierz (1976). Mammals: An Outline of Thierology (Ssaki. Zarys teriologii). Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. p. 321.
  19. ^ Mouchaty, Suzette K.; Gullberg, Anette; Janke, Axel; Arnason, Ulfur (2000). "The Phylogenetic Position of the Talpidae Within Eutheria Based on Analysis of Complete Mitochondrial Sequences". Mol Biol Evol. 17 (1): 60–67. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026238. PMID 10666706.
  20. ^ . furcommission.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  21. ^ a b c d . Extermine.com. 2004. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  22. ^ Howard, Martin (1 April 2010). "Why we need eccentricity". The Guardian. London. from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  23. ^ "Moles take up Roman archaeology". BBC News. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2023.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Talpa europaea.
 
Wikispecies has information related to Talpa europaea.
  • British Traditional Molecatchers Register

January 01, 1970
mole, animal, this, article, about, mammals, called, moles, other, uses, mole, disambiguation, confused, with, vole, small, mouse, like, rodent, moles, small, mammals, adapted, subterranean, lifestyle, they, have, cylindrical, bodies, velvety, very, small, inc. This article is about the mammals called moles For other uses see Mole disambiguation Not to be confused with vole a small mouse like rodent Moles are small mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle They have cylindrical bodies velvety fur very small inconspicuous eyes and ears 1 reduced hindlimbs and short powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging A European moleVarious moles The word mole refers to any species in the family Talpidae from the Latin word for mole talpa 2 Moles are found in most parts of North America Europe and Asia 3 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 4 5 Contents 1 Terminology 2 Characteristics 2 1 Underground breathing 2 2 Extra thumbs 3 Diet 4 Breeding 5 Social structure 6 Classification 7 Other moles 7 1 Golden moles 7 2 Marsupial moles 8 Interaction with humans 8 1 Pelts 8 2 Pest status extermination and humane options 8 3 Meat 8 4 The mole in prophetic literature 8 5 Archaeology 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External linksTerminology editIn Middle English moles were known as moldwarps The expression don t make a mountain out of a molehill which means exaggerating problems was first recorded in Tudor times 6 By the era of Early Modern English the mole was also known in English as mouldywarp or mouldiwarp i a word having cognates in other Germanic languages such as German Maulwurf 7 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 editUnderground breathing edit 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 8 Extra thumbs edit nbsp Mole paw 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 9 Diet editMoles 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 10 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 11 The star nosed mole can detect catch and eat food faster than the human eye can follow 12 Breeding editBreeding 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 13 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 14 The Townsend mole is endangered in the United States and Canada 15 Coast moles produce a litter of 2 5 pups between March and April 15 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 16 Social structure editAllegedly moles are solitary creatures coming together only to mate 17 Territories may overlap but moles avoid each other and males may fight fiercely if they meet 18 Classification edit nbsp Uropsilus nbsp Northern broad footed mole Further information List of talpids 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 On the other hand there is no monophyletic relation between the mole and the hedgehog both of which were previously placed in the now abandoned order Insectivora As a result Eulipotyphla shrew like animals including moles previously within Insectivora has been elevated to the level of an order 19 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 Other moles editWhile many groups of burrowing animals pink fairy armadillos tuco tucos mole rats mole crickets and mole crabs have developed close physical similarities with moles due to convergent evolution 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 moles of southern Africa and the marsupial moles 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 edit The golden moles belong to the same branch on the phylogenetic tree as the tenrecs called Tenrecomorpha which in turn stem from a main branch of placental mammals called the Afrosoricida This means that they share a closer common ancestor with such existing afrosoricids as elephants manatees and aardvarks than they do with other placental mammals such as true Talpidae moles ORDER AFROSORICIDA Suborder Tenrecomorpha Family Tenrecidae tenrecs 34 species in 10 genera Suborder Chrysochloridea Family Chrysochloridae Subfamily Chrysochlorinae Genus Carpitalpa Arends golden mole Carpitalpa arendsi Genus Chlorotalpa Duthie s golden mole Chlorotalpa duthieae Sclater s golden mole Chlorotalpa sclateri Genus Chrysochloris Subgenus Chrysochloris Cape golden mole Chrysochloris asiatica Visagie s golden mole Chrysochloris visagiei Subgenus Kilimatalpa Stuhlmann s golden mole Chrysochloris stuhlmanni Genus Chrysospalax Giant golden mole Chrysospalax trevelyani Rough haired golden mole Chrysospalax villosus Genus Cryptochloris De Winton s golden mole Cryptochloris wintoni Van Zyl s golden mole Cryptochloris zyli Genus Eremitalpa Grant s golden mole Eremitalpa granti Subfamily Amblysominae Genus Amblysomus Fynbos golden mole Amblysomus corriae Hottentot golden mole Amblysomus hottentotus Marley s golden mole Amblysomus marleyi Robust golden mole Amblysomus robustus Highveld golden mole Amblysomus septentrionalis Genus Calcochloris Subgenus Huetia Congo golden mole Calcochloris leucorhinus Subgenus Calcochloris Yellow golden mole Calcochloris obtusirostris Subgenus incertae sedis Somali golden mole Calcochloris tytonis Genus Neamblysomus Juliana s golden mole Neamblysomus julianae Gunning s golden mole Neamblysomus gunningi Marsupial moles edit nbsp A marsupial mole As marsupials these moles are even more distantly related to true talpid moles than golden moles are both of which belong to the Eutheria or placental mammals This means that they are more closely related to such existing Australian marsupials as kangaroos or koalas 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 monotremes echidnas and the platypus Subclass Theriiformes live bearing mammals and their prehistoric relatives Infraclass Holotheria modern live bearing mammals and their prehistoric relatives Supercohort Theria live bearing mammals Cohort Marsupialia marsupials Magnorder Ameridelphia New World marsupials Order Didelphimorphia opossums Order Paucituberculata shrew opossums Superorder Australidelphia Australian marsupials Order Dasyuromorphia the Tasmanian devil the numbat thylacines quolls dunnarts and others Order Peramelemorphia bilbies bandicoots and rainforest bandicoots Order Diprotodontia koalas wombats diprotodonts possums cuscuses sugar gliders kangaroos and others Order Notoryctemorphia marsupial moles and closely related extinct families of marsupials Family Notoryctidae living and extinct marsupial mole genera Genus Notoryctes only genus of marsupial moles with living species Species Notoryctes typhlops southern marsupial mole Species Notoryctes caurinus northern marsupial mole Interaction with humans editPelts edit nbsp Advertisement in Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News 1921 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 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 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 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 derived from the French noun taupe meaning mole but it is readily dyed any color 20 The term moleskin for a tough cotton fabric is in common use today Pest status extermination and humane options edit nbsp Molehills in eastern Bohemia Moles are considered agricultural pests in some countries while in others such as Germany they are a protected species but may be killed with a permit Problems cited as caused by moles include contamination of silage with soil particles making it unpalatable to livestock 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 weasels and voles may use mole tunnels to gain access to enclosed areas or plant roots Moles burrow and raise molehills killing parts of lawns They can undermine plant roots indirectly causing damage or death Moles do not eat plant roots 21 nbsp A mole trap Moles are controlled with traps such as mole catchers smoke bombs and poisons such as calcium carbide 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 and are inserted in the mole tunnels where they turn into phosphine gas not be confused with phosgene gas More recently high grade nitrogen gas has proven effective at killing moles with the added advantage of having no polluting effect to the environment 21 Other common defensive measures include cat litter and blood meal 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 21 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 21 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 edit William Buckland known for eating every animal he could opined that mole meat tasted vile 22 The mole in prophetic literature edit 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 would be the Mouldwarp 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 1535 7 but this time was applied by the rebels to Henry VIII Archaeology edit Moles can inadvertently help archaeologists by bringing small artifacts to the surface through their digging By examining molehills for sherds and other small objects archaeologists can find evidence of human habitation 23 See also editMolecatcher MolehillNotes edit Also Mouldwarp Moldiwarp Moldywarp References edit Kott Ondrej Sumbera Radim Nemec Pavel 2010 Iwaniuirst Andrew ed Light Perception in Two Strictly Subterranean Rodents Life in the Dark or Blue PLOS ONE 5 7 e11810 Bibcode 2010PLoSO 511810K doi 10 1371 journal pone 0011810 PMC 2911378 PMID 20676369 Riddle Joseph Edmond 1838 A Complete English Latin Dictionary for the Use of Colleges and Schools London Longman Orme Brown Green and Longmans Paternoster Row and John Murray Albemarle Street p 193 Campbell Kevin Mole Distribution Maps University of Manitoba Archived from the original on 24 March 2010 Retrieved 11 March 2010 Arlton A V 1936 An Ecological Study of the Mole Journal of Mammalogy 17 4 349 371 doi 10 2307 1374401 JSTOR 1374401 Streitberger Merle 2016 Ants and Moles as Ecosystem Engineers The Role of Small scale Disturbance for Biodiversity in Central European Grasslands Osnabruck a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Roper William 1557 Life of Sir Thomas More Archived 23 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Rackham Oliver The Illustrated History of the Countryside page 130 quoting J Seddon The boke of surveying and improvments sic ISBN 0 297 84335 4 Secret of how moles breathe underground revealed The Telegraph 20 July 2010 Archived from the original on 23 July 2010 Retrieved 19 August 2016 How the mole got its twelve fingers University of Zurich 12 July 2011 Archived from the original on 23 July 2011 Retrieved 17 July 2011 Moles Pest management co uk Archived from the original on 1 May 2009 Retrieved 19 August 2016 Attenborough David 2002 The life of mammals London BBC p 44 ISBN 0563534230 Salisbury David F 2 February 2005 Marsh dwelling mole gives new meaning to the term fast food EurekAlert Archived from the original on 16 August 2016 Retrieved 19 August 2016 Moles their biology and control Icwdm org Archived from the original on 27 September 2013 Retrieved 12 July 2013 Scapanus townsendii Archived 13 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine California Department of Fish and Game a b Coast Mole Control and Trapping Animalcontrolsolutions com Species Mole The Mammal Society Retrieved 17 July 2022 Moles What Do Moles Eat amp Other Facts About Moles The RSPB Retrieved 24 April 2023 Kowalski Kazimierz 1976 Mammals An Outline of Thierology Ssaki Zarys teriologii Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe p 321 Mouchaty Suzette K Gullberg Anette Janke Axel Arnason Ulfur 2000 The Phylogenetic Position of the Talpidae Within Eutheria Based on Analysis of Complete Mitochondrial Sequences Mol Biol Evol 17 1 60 67 doi 10 1093 oxfordjournals molbev a026238 PMID 10666706 Furs types in brief furcommission com Archived from the original on 21 July 2011 a b c d How to get rid of moles Extermine com 2004 Archived from the original on 26 April 2012 Retrieved 17 July 2011 Howard Martin 1 April 2010 Why we need eccentricity The Guardian London Archived from the original on 24 March 2014 Retrieved 13 May 2010 Moles take up Roman archaeology BBC News 3 May 2013 Retrieved 16 January 2023 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Talpa europaea nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Talpa europaea UK Government DEFRA paper on control the European mole British Traditional Molecatchers Register Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mole animal amp oldid 1221033370, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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