Ask a Naturalist: How do moles find their way around if they have poor eyesight? | Effie Yeaw Nature Center (2024)

FAQs

How do moles find their way around? ›

To find food and to navigate the dark underground moles rely on their keen sense of smell and touch. Their sense of touch is sensitive and can feel nearby vibrations of activity allowing them to avoid danger or find invertebrates to feast on. Moles are small burrowing mammals who live underground.

Summary: Due to their underground habitats, moles' eyes have been modified by natural selection in ways very different from those of surface-dwelling animals. New research offers a detailed anatomical and genetic examination of the changes that result from living life in the dark.

For instance, many people think all moles are blind or even without eyes entirely. This is not true: All mole species have eyes, though their vision tends to be quite basic. Scientists believe moles are colorblind and nearsighted, but that their eyes are exceptionally good at detecting light.

Blind mole rats have been observed using both their sense of smell and their balance to navigate over short distances. Tali Kimchi of Tel Aviv University and her colleagues tested the creature¿s ability to stay on course during longer treks from home.

Moles may be seriously short-sighted and some even have skin covering their eyes. But in findings that could give new insights to human eye disorders, scientists reveal that moles' eyes are better than expected and that they can see light even when their eyes are permanently shut.

The mole's short, black, velvety fur and broad, spade-like forelimbs make it instantly recognisable. Although it has no obvious ears and minute eyes, it is neither deaf nor blind. Moles are usually between 11 & 16cm long, with a short tail and weigh between 70 & 130g; males are generally larger.

Blindness can be genetic, but it can also occur due to environmental factors, injury, ageing or illness. Hereditary blindness can develop over time, as problems within the eyes become worse, especially in old age.

Like any mammal, moles have the potential to bite; but they rarely, if ever, bite people. They seldom come up to the surface of the ground and therefore rarely come into contact with people; moles are not considered to be a physical threat to humans.

Moles move slowly on the surface and are preyed upon by owls, hawks, and snakes. Because of their secluded life underground and their strong, musky odor, moles are unpalatable to most mammalian predators; however, raccoons and coyotes do dig them out, presumably to eat them.

Although moles can destroy the look of your lawn, they are actually helpful in reducing pest populations. Moles feed on insects that can harm plants, such as mole crickets, beetle larvae and ants. They also paralyze earthworms, and store them as alternative food sources.

How long does a ground mole live? ›

Lifespan: Most moles don't live beyond 3 years but can live up to 6 years. Their main predators are tawny owls and buzzards, stoats, cats and dogs, along with some vehicular casualties.

Similar to another famous non-model rodent, the naked mole-rat, Spalax has an extremely long lifespan – up to 20 years, which is ten times longer than for closely related mice and rats. In addition, Spalax and naked mole rats have demonstrated remarkable resistance to cancer.

Lifespan: Moles live four to six years. Moles are small mammals that can terrorize lawns and gardens. Moles live primarily underground and cause damage by digging tunnels and mounds.

How Long Will Moles Live in the Yard? In general, moles have small home ranges and the animal will rarely stay in the same area for a longer period of time. Their activity in a particular area may only last one or two weeks until there's no more food to be found.

Moles are most active in the early morning and late evening on cloudy days during the spring and fall. There are many methods advertised for removing moles, such as chewing gum and vibration and ultrasonic devices, that are advertised to deter them. Often, however, these methods are not very effective.

Surface tunnels connect with deeper runways that are located 3 to 12 inches below the surface, but may be as deep as 40 inches. Deep runways are main passageways that are used daily as the mole travels to and from surface tunnels and its nest. Moles are fast diggers and can tunnel at a rate of 15 feet per hour.