Moles are small, fascinating animals that spend almost their entire lives underground. If you’ve seen little mounds of soil in a meadow or garden, those are molehills—piles of dirt pushed up from the tunnels below. Let’s discover some cool facts about these mysterious creatures!
What Do Moles Look Like?
Moles have compact bodies covered with thick black or gray fur. Their eyes are tiny, because underground vision is limited. To find food and navigate, they rely mostly on smell and touch—using sensitive snouts and whisker-like hairs. They also have strong front legs with big claws, like little shovels, perfect for digging tunnels.
Where Do Moles Live?
Moles can live anywhere the soil is soft enough to dig. You’ll find them in meadows, gardens, and forest edges—but not in very rocky, compacted, or waterlogged ground.
What Do Moles Eat?
Moles mainly eat creatures that live in the soil, such as earthworms, grubs, and insect larvae. Their excellent sense of smell (and sensitive snouts) helps them hunt underground.
How Do Moles Communicate?
Moles do make sounds—soft squeaks and even little growls when upset or defending themselves. They also leave scent marks in tunnels to share information with other moles.
Fun Mole Fact
Moles are helpful for the soil. As they dig, they aerate and mix the earth, which can help plants grow—though they can also be a bit troublesome in tidy lawns and gardens!
Moles are truly fascinating and useful animals, even if you rarely see them. Next time you spot a molehill, remember there’s a hardworking little mole in the tunnels beneath your feet!
Read the story about a mole!
