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Mole can reach 4.4 to 6.25 inches in length (plus tail of 1 to 1.6 inches) and 2.5 to 4.5 ounces of weight.
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Mole is covered with short, thick, grey, creamy, brown or black fur.
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Mole has pointed nose, small eyes and ears, broad front teeth, short, stout legs and cylindrical body.
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Mole is adapted for the life under the ground. Its shovel-like front paws with an extra thumb and long, curved claws facilitate digging of the soil and construction of the long, complex underground tunnels. Mole can dig 18-feet-long tunnel in one hour.
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Mole comes to the surface of the ground only to collect nesting material and to find its new home.
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Mole is diurnal animal that spends nearly entire day in search for food.
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Mole has poor eyesight, but it is not blind. It uses keen sense of smell to detect the prey.
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Mole has mixed diet based on the earthworms, spiders, grubs and different plants. It occasionally consumes small mice and shrews. Mole has huge appetite: daily intake of food exceeds half of its own body weight.
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Mole uses special chambers, known as larders, for storing of food. It collects and stores paralyzed or decapitated earthworms in larders during the autumn. Fresh supplies of earthworms represent valuable source of food during the winter.
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Natural enemies of moles are snakes, cats, foxes and eagles.
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Mole can perform somersault and run backwards when it is faced with danger. It can reach the speed of 80 feet per minute when it needs to escape from the predators.
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Mole is solitary creature.
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Mating season of moles takes place from February to May. Females produce 1 to 2 litters per season.
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Pregnancy lasts around one month and ends with 3 to 6 babies that are naked and blind at birth. Babies depend on the mother's milk during the first 4 to 5 weeks of their life. They become ready for the independent life at the age of 2 months. Young moles reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 months.
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Mole has an average lifespan of 3 years in the wild.
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