Do Moles Really Eat Dirt?

Introduction

Moles are the creatures of nightmares—or at least, they certainly look the part. Need proof? Just check out a video of one in action. Their extraterrestrial appearance is matched only by their bizarre habits and way of life. It’s not an exaggeration to say that they may be among the most peculiar creatures on Earth, rivaled only by deep-sea oddities and the ever-baffling platypus.

Moles are found on every continent except South America and Antarctica. In the U.S., their burrowed tunnels have become an all-too-familiar sight, leaving lawns lumpy and uneven. But despite the telltale signs of their presence, how often have you actually seen a mole in the wild?

The answer is probably never. If you’ve been lucky (or unlucky) enough to spot one, you might want to buy a lottery ticket. While moles do occasionally poke their heads out from their burrows, it’s only for a fleeting moment. These creatures are incredibly ill-adapted for life above ground, making their dark, subterranean tunnels their true domain.

However, much of what we think we know about moles is often misunderstood. Let’s dig into some of the most bizarre (and not-so-fun) facts about these elusive little creatures:

Fascinating Facts About Moles

• Moles are insectivorous mammals – This means two things:

1.  Their diet consists almost entirely of insects—earthworms, snails, and slugs being their favorites. So no, despite common belief, moles don’t actually eat dirt. In fact, before consuming an earthworm, they will use their paws to squeeze the dirt out—which suggests they don’t care for the taste of soil.

2.  As mammals, they give birth to live young, nurse them, have hair, and possess a neocortex, a part of the brain associated with higher-order functions.

• Moles eat nearly their entire body weight in insects every day – To fuel their energy needs, they burrow an impressive 70 feet per day in search of food.
• Mole saliva is mildly toxic – It contains a paralyzing toxin that stuns earthworms, allowing moles to store them for later. In fact, researchers have found underground caches of over 1,000 worms collected and saved like a pantry for future meals.
• Moles are not blind – While their tiny eyes are nearly useless, they can still see. To compensate, moles have an extraordinary sense of smell and hearing. They are one of the few known animals that can smell in stereo, meaning they can detect the direction of a scent instantly. If you’ve ever been baffled trying to figure out where a smell is coming from, moles don’t have that problem.
• Moles aren’t always bad for your lawn – While they’re often blamed for damaging grass and plants, their burrowing actually provides benefits. They eat harmful insects that destroy plant roots, and their tunneling helps aerate soil. However, once moles abandon their tunnels, voles (a different type of rodent) often move in—and voles are the real culprits when it comes to plant destruction.
• Moles are loners – They live solitary lives, only seeking out company during mating season. If they encounter another mole outside of that time, they will viciously defend their territory—meaning even their underground world is a battle zone.

Conclusion

Moles may be elusive, but their impact on the ecosystem is undeniable. While their burrowing can be a nuisance to homeowners, these little diggers also play a vital role in keeping insect populations in check and improving soil health. And as for eating dirt? They’d rather pass.

Love them or loathe them, moles remain one of nature’s most fascinating underground engineers.

Photo credit: 

• By Karelj - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2464250
• By Dieder Plu - Mol, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13307636