When considering whether moles are “friendly” to humans, it is important to understand that these subterranean animals operate primarily on instinct, not social interaction. The concept of friendliness, as humans understand it, does not apply to moles, whose behaviors are driven by their biological needs and adaptations to an underground existence. Their interactions with the human world are largely indirect, stemming from their natural habits rather than any deliberate intent.
The Nature of Moles
Moles are small, solitary mammals adapted for a life almost entirely beneath the soil. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, and powerful, spade-like forelimbs for digging. As insectivores, their diet consists mainly of earthworms, grubs, and other soil invertebrates. Moles have a high metabolism, consuming significant food daily, necessitating constant foraging and tunneling.
Their sensory adaptations are tailored to their underground environment. Moles have small, poor eyesight, detecting only light variations. Instead, they rely heavily on keen touch and smell to navigate and locate prey. Some species, like the star-nosed mole, possess specialized Eimer’s organs on their snout, providing sensitive touch for rapid food detection. Moles spend most of their lives digging intricate tunnel networks, serving as living spaces and effective traps for invertebrate prey.
Mole Encounters with People
Moles are shy, actively avoiding human contact and preferring their underground tunnels. If seen above ground, a mole is often disoriented, injured, or a young one dispersing. Despite sharp teeth, moles rarely bite humans, doing so only if threatened, handled, or cornered. Bites are typically defensive, not aggressive.
Moles are not significant carriers of diseases directly transmissible to humans; rabies is extremely rare. However, moles can indirectly pose a risk by hosting parasites like fleas and ticks, known vectors for diseases such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and anaplasmosis. Avoid direct handling to minimize stress to the animal and reduce the low risk of parasite transmission.
Why Moles Are Misunderstood
The common perception of moles as “unfriendly” or “pests” arises from the disruption their tunneling causes to lawns and gardens. The raised ridges of shallow tunnels and characteristic molehills, mounds of excavated soil, can be undesirable and damage turf. Moles do not intentionally consume plant roots; however, their extensive digging can disturb or sever plant roots, leading to wilting or dying vegetation.
This damage is an unintended consequence of their natural foraging behavior, not deliberate hostility toward human property. Moles simply pursue their instinct to find food and create shelter in loose, moist soil. Their actions reflect biological imperatives, not aggression or unfriendliness.