Where does the European mole live?
The European mole has a wide range throughout Europe and westernmost Asia: north as far as the United Kingdom and southern Scandinavia, south as far as northern Greece, and east as far as western Siberia. It is the only mole species in most of this range. It lives in a tunnel system that it constantly extends, and the displaced earth forms the molehills. There are an estimated 35 to 40 million moles in the UK.
What does the European mole eat?
It uses its tunnels to hunt. It is an omnivore that feeds mainly on earthworms, but also on insects, centipedes and mammals such as rodents and other moles. Its saliva contains toxins which paralyse earthworms in particular. It has a cylindrical body 11 to 16 cm long, weighing 70 to 130 g, and fur that is usually dark grey.
Is the European mole endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. It is genetically very close to the Aquitanian mole, the Iberian mole and the blind mole. The Loire River in France was thought to form the western barrier to its range, but it is not a strict barrier: members of either species have been found on opposite sides.
