Moles are about 15cm in length and are covered in a black smooth velvety hair and are widespread throughout Britain. They spend the majority of their lives below ground with forelimbs being well adapted for burrowing in earth, being shovel shaped and turned outwards to facilitate earth removal. Moles have poor eyesight their eyes being greatly reduced in size. They have a shiny black short coat with a velvety appearance and a short thin tail.

Blind and wholly dependant on their mother, with an average litter of 4, they mature very quickly and leave the nest after a period of about 5 weeks.

Moles do not hibernate and are extremely active creating and extending a network of tunnels below ground. These tunnels are regularly patrolled in search of earthworms, their main food, but insect larvae and slugs also occasionally form part of their diet.

Moles are solitary, only coming together to breed, they are extremely territorial that one mole's territory might be as much as 200m2 (1 imperial acre), and even in the largest of garden situations, many casts of earth will be the result of one mole. Moles rarely traffic above ground and droppings or surface never occur.

Mole hills are unsightly dotted over ornamental lawns and are particularly damaging on golf courses, bowling greens and playing fields. Damage to mowing machines can occur from excavated stones in mole hills, contacting with mower blades.

Back to Rodents and Wildlife