About moles heard many, but seeing them in nature one.Villagers usually do not find the animal, and the traces of his presence on the estate.However, they immediately take measures to free the area from uninvited animals, because they know something about moles: what they eat, how they see as hear.
Description moles
Moles - miniature predators length of 10-25 cm, are building houses under the ground with the help of strong forelegs.The magnitude of tail length equal to the size of the head.The skin is covered with animal fur is short and mild, easily stacked front to back, and in the opposite direction.Thanks to this mole easily moves through underground tunnels dug both forward and backward.Skin color ranges from dark gray to black colors.
animals have tiny eyes.For some individuals, they are hidden under the skin, virtually fused with it.Subterranean beings, despite the eye blind.Subtle visual organs have atrophied - they are not provided with the retina and pupil.
animals have no ears, or rather, they are covered by skin tight or spliced with him.This prevents the penetration of land in the ears.Options auditory organ moles atrophied.
Orient animals due to the sharp scent.Spout animals have transformed into a process of moving, constantly sniffing space and seek out their prey.They have a well-developed sense of orientation.They mark territory habitat of special secretion.This allows them to find their own mazes and learn about the invasion of strangers into their abode.
Mole - a shrew, it is perfectly adapted to life in the soil.Earth, he rakes, shovels powerful legs with strong claws which are flattened at the top.These animal loosens hard soil, rips hole and builds intricate network of highways, merge into an intricate maze where the mole eats and makes reserves, slept and multiplies.
Reproduction
animals mate in early spring days.Progeny appears once a year, not earlier than April and June.In the litter found 3-9 blind and naked cubs.Youngsters emits soft sounds like chick squeak.First Young friendly, but eventually in the brood arise aggressive brawl.
month moles difficult to distinguish from adults.At this age, animals begin to leave the mother's dwelling and build their pipeline.The migration period when they need to cross the small rivers.
Habitat
abode moles - west Russia, Siberia and the east of the Urals, or rather, their forests and forest-steppe zones.They choose to live regions with wet soils that are easy to dig, and the rich, what to eat mole in the forest and border areas with him.The bulk of the animals an underground lifestyle, doing turns laying tunnels.
Some animals prefer terrestrial life, which allows them to find food without too much difficulty.However, due to the structural features of the forelegs designed for tearing soil, land moles have to move only by crawling.Thick dusk and night - watch the activity of these animals.
on the steppe and taiga expanses do not have enough of what the moles eat in the forest (because of dry and acidic soils).However, they are occasionally found in these areas, mastering the meadows and river flood plains, covered shrubs.
Power
Moles have an increased metabolism.This is the reason of excessive extravagance.Earthworms, roots and plants - are what feed the moles in the woods and on its outskirts.If in excess of worms, animals, immobilizing them, they form the victuals.
Eating 20 grams of worms at a time, the animal rolls up into a ball and slept about 5 hours.Waking animal immediately mistaken for the search for food.Trapeznichat mole 3-4 times daily.To saturate it enough 60-80 grams of food.Moles do not hibernate, their activity is not extinguished all year round.
What the mole eats in the forest, and does not stop life.The animal follows the worms, even under the snow.He is constantly engaged in construction of highways forage under the snow.Livestock crawls the network of mole tunnels.It involves musk animals and fever.Mole can only collect the booty.
Mole - insectivorous animal.Beetles, grubs, insects and worms - that's what feeds the mole in the woods and on the water meadows.And he - predatory animals that feed on small rodents, arthropods different sizes.For it is not a problem to eat, for example, a lizard.
benefits of moles
These shrews appreciated for the magnificent pelts used in the fur industry.Durable mole skin covered with thick fur.The market demand for fur skins animal quite large.
Thanks lifestyle of these animals improved soil conditions.Their "work activity" on farmland brings substantial benefits.However, they can cripple the rootstock plants, but because of molehills difficult to mow herbage.
whether a mole is dangerous to humans
direct threats of moles a person there.However, this earth-moving creature is ranked vacationers to major problems in the garden plots.The fact that farmers have a headache when the moles detected in the garden and the garden.Benefits and harms of them are literally hand in hand.
Moles harm lawns.They dig tunnels under the treated area is not difficult.The root system is shallow, well-groomed lawn grass.Under the turf lies not compacted earth - a place of huge concentration of earthworms.This place is easily produced food.
Roy tunnels, spoil the animal roots of cultivated plants.Because of its activities die fruit and vegetable crops.In addition, he does not shun destruction of plantations and crops.
In addition to this, destroying what eats a mole in the forest - worms and frogs bearing favor soil, animal harms property.Due to the disappearance of beneficial soil animals is getting worse, her divorced pests.