Moles

Moles

Another character from Wind in the Willows, the mole is also famous in Jacobite lore. William of Orange (William III) died in the grounds of Kensington Palace as a consequence of his horse stumbling on a molehill. William was the Protestant who deposed James II (Catholic) and as a result he was not in the Catholic ‘good books’. The Jacobites used to raise a toast to the ‘ little gentleman in a black velvet waistcoat’. Spies are sometimes referred to as moles because they operate underground so to speak.

The presence of moles at Rannoch is less fanciful. They are common in fields and on mountain slopes. They can be found high on Schiehallion where it could be said that they make a molehill out of a mountain.

Moles are not blind but because they spend most of their time in the dark in burrows they have little need for eyesight. They also have poor hearing and rely on senses of touch, taste and smell.

The even velvety fur of a mole allows it to move backwards or forwards in its burrow without ruffling the fur. It has a short tail that sticks up and carries sensors that inform the mole about its tunnel. Moles spend most of their lives alone and feed on earthworms and other invertebrates. The saliva of a mole contains a toxin which allows the mole to paralise and store its favourite food - earthworms. Up to one thousand worms have been found in a mole ‘larder’.

The males will extend their burrows to find females and will sometimes come onto the surface to fight other males. Such fights can be fatal. Extra large molehills called mole castles or mole fortresses are created to house nests for the young and also as a retreat in the event of flooding. If necessary moles can swim using their powerful digging forelimbs. They can even swim under water and can hold their breath for up to ten seconds. The front feet are extra broad and have what appears to be a sixth toe.

Moles are exclusively carnivorous and do not eat plant roots. Their molehills can be a nuisance in gardens or fields and they are often trapped with cruel traps that act as pincers to clamp the moles body as it passes through.

Years ago the B&Q branch in Derry (Londonderry) in Northern Ireland was puzzled when it failed to sell any of its mole repellant. Evidently the staff did not realise that there are no moles in Ireland. After the last ice age moles were not quick enough to get to Ireland before the land bridge to the rest of the British Isles disappeared. They are also absent from the Channel Isles and, dare I say the Scottish Islands? (someone is bound to know exceptions to this). They are also not found in South America and Antarctica but are found in all other continents.

Photo - Creative Commons - credit Mick E Talbot