Nature Notebook

Our Velvety Friends

Instead of frowning at the mole-created mounds on your otherwise perfect lawn, find out more about the wonders of this amazing creature...

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Worcestershire Wildlife Trust @WorcsWT t worcestershirewildlifetrust G worcswildlifetrust.co.uk w For fans of television’s build-your-ownhome shows, moles are just another grand designer. When they move into a new territory, they create their own home and it comes complete with corridors (tunnels), bedrooms (chambers) and even kitchens (well, a larder at least). It’s this construction of a new abode that brings these furry creatures into conflict with humans.

We’re a tidy bunch that aren’t keen on seeing mounds of earth appear in our neat gardens. Take a moment to think about it, however, and you’ll realise that the nutrient-rich earth that is being thrown up by an excavating mole is great to add to our flower beds. Moles only live where there is plenty to eat and plenty of worms means healthy soil! Once a mole has settled into its new home, the mounds will stop appearing (apart from the occasional renovation).

This need to dig means that moles have developed spade-like front feet. If you take a closer look, it appears that they have an extra thumb but the additional digit is actually an enlarged wrist bone that serves to widen their feet, helping them to dig through the earth. Experts estimate that one of these tiny mammals (they’re 10-15cm in length and weigh just 80-120g) can shift six kilos of soil through its tunnel system in just 20 minutes. in food every day so moles live where soil is healthy. Their favourite food is a good juicy worm and, as well as munching these as they patrol their tunnels, they also decapitate them for safe storage at a later date; one larder was found to have 470 decapitated worms stored in it. This may sound unpleasant (and if you’re a worm, it undoubtedly is) but worms can regenerate so if the mole doesn’t make it back in time, some will be able to make their getaway.

In the dry summer of 2020 we had people get in touch to let us know that they’d seen moles above the ground. Although moles do sometimes leave the comfort of their tunnels to gather vegetation for nesting material, seeing them is rather unusual. Last summer’s lack of rain, however, drove worms deeper underground and whilst many moles will have followed them, some chose to go upwards in the hunt for food. If it’s particularly wet, you might see evidence of moles as they avoid the waterlogged conditions further down by getting closer to the surface and creating long ridges of earth as make their way through the drier soil above.

Sightings of moles aren’t usually recorded but we’d love to know where they are. If you’ve got fresh molehills or you’re lucky enough to see a mole, please let us know by filling in our short form and uploading a photo www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/wildlife-sightings Thank you. n