Mole
Fun Mole Facts
- Moles can dig tunnels at a rate of up to 15 feet per hour.
- Although moles may resemble mice and rats, they are not rodents. Instead they are insectivores - more closely related to bats.
- Like pigs, male moles are called "boars" and female moles are called "sows".
- Unique adaptations in the hemoglobin of moles allow them to survive underground with low levels of oxygen and high levels of carbon dioxide.
- In cold and/or dry weather, moles will often dig deeper into the ground, following their food source.
- A mole's saliva contains a toxin that paralyzes worms, allowing them to gather and store food for consumption later on.
- Before eating a captured earthworm, a mole may squeeze the worm between its forepaws to release the unwanted dirt from its gut