A Common Mole: 4 Facts That Completely Change the Perception of These Animals (9 photos)

What do you know about a mole? Well, it's brown, well, it digs the ground. Meanwhile, moles are versatile and very dangerous predators that can hunt underwater, dig giant tunnels and see everything perfectly.





But stick your hand in the hole, we'll talk differently there!

1. Moles can swim

And better than most mammals of this size. The animals can stay in the water for about an hour and travel up to 800 meters! It would seem that the mole does not even see daylight - what kind of swimming! But if you think about it, the conditions of the underwater and underground environments are very similar.



Moles crash footage: the unfortunate animal ran aground!

The digging itself is not much different from swimming - the movements are the same. So the strong front paws, trained during the digging of tunnels, are ideal for breaststroke. The lungs of moles are also much larger than those of other animals of similar size - there is no ventilation underground, you have to breathe a lot of carbon dioxide and all sorts of fumes. And the sliding fur underground helps to squeeze through narrow tunnels. And underwater, this same fur becomes a diving suit - the hairs are so tightly pressed together that they do not let water through. So the animal comes out of the water dry in the most literal sense.





What a strange land. So wet and soft... I like it!

But this is still not the most surprising thing. Star-nosed moles have improved their underwater hunting skills so much that they can now literally sniff water. To do this, the animal releases a small air bubble from its nose when diving and holds it for some time with the help of the tentacles on its nose. The air bubble collects odor molecules on itself, after which the mole sucks the air back in. This way it can smell prey even underwater!



On the left is the star-nosed mole itself. On the right is how its nose works underwater.

2. A mole can die of hunger in 14 hours

If you have ever dug the earth, you know that this is not an easy task. And a mole spends its entire life turning over the soil! To find the strength for this, the mole's metabolism works at such a crazy speed that we can't even dream of it. The mole's body digests food in just 4-5 hours. For comparison: for us, this process takes up to two days! And in 14 hours without food, the mole will die of hunger.



Wow, what a treasure! Now I won't starve for an hour!

To maintain activity, the animal must eat about 70% of its own weight per day, that is, at least 70 grams. As a result, moles are in a permanent search for food. Their caloric race for life does not stop even in winter - with such a level of metabolism, it is impossible to acquire a fat layer. Therefore, for the hungry time, the animals make impressive reserves of live canned food - earthworms with a bitten head. They will not crawl away and will not spoil. In one mole pantry there can be several hundred worms!



The boss caught the worker who was leaving for lunch for the fifth time during the shift.

3. Moles eat not only earthworms

And many still think that the animals eat plants. No! On paper, moles are insectivores. But in reality, they are vicious, scary predators. The animal will mercilessly attack any creature that accidentally gets into their tunnel: frogs, mice, lizards, snakes. The mole has a solid combat arsenal - a row of sharp teeth and giant claws will turn anyone into mincemeat! Although the moles' favorite dish is really earthworms.



If you thought that moles are small, harmless creatures - look at their teeth and think again.

4. Moles are not blind!

Of course, they won't be able to tell the fifth line apart from the eye doctor, but moles' eyes are not much different in functionality from the eyes of other mammals. Yes, they are tiny, the size of a pin. And if you compare them to humans, the mole will have a huge disadvantage - already at a distance of 2 meters, everything starts to merge and become cloudy for them.



Here are those who really have beady eyes!

But recent studies have shown that moles have a fully formed retina, which contains all the necessary types of cells to perceive light and color. This means that the animals can see moving objects and even colors up close. What's more, moles whose eyes are covered with skin also react to light! This means that even their eyes are still functional.



What a wonderful world this is! At least those two meters in front of the entrance to my hole... I can't vouch for the rest.

Why vision underground, in pitch darkness? There are two reasons. Firstly, only with the eyes can a mole detect a predator. The main enemies of the animal are canines: coyotes, foxes, wolves. They wait for the mole at the very entrance to the hole, at the molehills. Secondly, thanks to light, animals regulate their circadian rhythms. Even deep in the hole, it is important to understand: when is day and when is night. It is even more important to understand the change of seasons. Thanks to vision, moles navigate: when to make supplies, and when to prepare for love.