The Secret Life of Moles: What They're Really Up to Underground

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While you're walking above ground, completely unaware, an entire civilisation of furry engineers is constructing elaborate tunnel networks beneath your feet. Moles live in a hidden world that's far more complex and fascinating than most people realise. Here's what they're up to while we're not paying attention (or aren't even aware they're there!).

They're building underground cities with specific room purposes.

Mole tunnel systems aren't random burrows; they're carefully planned communities with designated areas for sleeping, food storage, waste disposal, and nurseries. These underground cities can span several acres with multiple levels and connecting corridors.

Each tunnel serves a specific function, from hunting highways to emergency escape routes. The main tunnels act like underground motorways, while smaller offshoots serve as dining rooms where moles pause to eat captured prey.

They can dig 18 feet of tunnel in a single hour.

Moles are incredibly efficient excavators, capable of moving astonishing amounts of soil in very short periods. Their powerful front paws and specialised shoulder structure allow them to literally swim through earth like water. Their digging speed means the tunnel network under your garden could expand dramatically overnight. A single mole can create 150 feet of new tunnels in just one day when conditions are right.

They're nearly blind but navigate using supersonic senses.

Moles have tiny eyes that can barely detect light and dark, but they navigate their dark world using incredibly sensitive touch and vibration detection. Their snouts contain over 100,000 nerve fibres, which is six times more than human hands. They can sense earthworm movement from several inches away and detect the slightest vibrations through the soil. This sensory system is so precise, they can hunt effectively in complete darkness underground.

They maintain underground food pantries with live storage.

Moles don't just eat what they catch immediately. Instead, they create sophisticated food storage systems with paralysed but living earthworms. Their saliva contains toxins that immobilise prey without killing it, keeping meat fresh for weeks. These underground larders can contain hundreds of stored earthworms, providing reliable food supplies during harsh weather when hunting becomes difficult. It's essentially a living refrigerator system beneath the ground.

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