5th July, 1999

Twice during the past week, I have found a dead adult mole. The first of these was simply lying on a track but the second was on the edge of the cricket field near  signs of recent mole activity. Along the edge of the field, extending one or two metres into the field, turf had been forced upwards by tunnels dug just below the surface. The tunnels wandered into the field from the area of rough grass beneath the trees on the edge of the field and occasionally broke the surface. Moles do not usually use the cricket field, seeming to prefer the ground in the wooded area, and I wonder whether the obvious activity is the result of territorial disputes. I know that moles can defend their territories vigorously and there must, at this time of year, be a number of young moles around to increase the likelihood of disputes arising.

The sketches on this page were taken from the mole that died on the cricket pitch. This is an animal that has a number of interesting features because of living  such a specialised lifestyle. There is the fur, which feels so soft when stroked in any direction. The fur does not lie in a particular direction, like that on most mammals, so that the mole can move forwards or backwards just as easily whilst underground. The disproportionately large front feet, used for digging, have long, pink claws, which must have to grow fairly rapidly to allow for wear. The claws on the back feet are long but the feet are not as large as the front ones. Does the mole kick dirt out of the hole with its back feet or push it out with the front ones? I don't know the answer. The eyes of the mole are tiny and hard to find but the evidence of other useful senses is easy to spot. The nose looks wet and sensitive and is obviously used a lot. Also, the tail is not covered with thick fur but has, instead, many bristles. The tail does not hang down like those on many other animals but looks as though it is attached to the body in such a way that it can swivel to point in any direction. The mole can then use it to touch the insides of the tunnels as it moves forwards or backwards.