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Mole Facts

A mole is a small mammal that lives underground, with a cylinder-shaped body, velvety fur and short, powerful front legs built for digging.

Class
Mammal

About the mole

Picture a tube of soft fur with huge digging paws up front. Moles have tiny, hard-to-spot eyes and ears, small hind legs and strong forelimbs with large paws. The name mostly refers to species in the family Talpidae, a word drawn from talpa, Latin for mole. True moles live in most of North America, Asia and Europe, except Ireland.

Other animals share the name without being relatives, including the African golden moles and Australia's marsupial moles, which live in a similar way underground. Gardeners may call moles pests, but these diggers help soil and gardens by mixing air into the ground and eating slugs and small creatures that chew plant roots. They feed on earthworms and other small invertebrates, and they are prey for other wildlife too.

Did you know?

  • True moles do not live in Ireland, even though they live across much of Europe.
  • The family name Talpidae comes from talpa, the Latin word for mole.
  • African golden moles are not related to true moles despite their name.

Questions about the mole

What do moles eat?

Moles feed on earthworms, slugs and other small invertebrates found in soil.

Are moles bad for gardens?

Gardeners may see them as pests, but moles aerate soil and eat creatures that harm plant roots.

More mammals

Sources

Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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