Moles belong to the Talpidae family, a group of small, specialized mammals inhabiting subterranean environments across the Northern Hemisphere. These creatures are highly adapted for life beneath the soil, using powerful forelimbs to excavate extensive tunnel systems. The mole’s solitary, constantly active lifestyle is driven by a high metabolic rate. This dictates a continuous need for energy, meaning the mole must hunt and consume food constantly to survive.
The Mole’s Primary Diet: Invertebrate Focus
The mole is classified as an insectivore, and its diet is overwhelmingly dominated by invertebrates found within the soil. Earthworms form the staple of their menu, often comprising an estimated 80 to 90 percent of their total food intake. Moles also consume a variety of other soft-bodied prey, including beetle larvae, grubs, slugs, and centipedes that fall into their underground corridors.
Moles do not store body fat efficiently, requiring them to consume a massive amount of food daily. An adult mole must eat a quantity ranging from 25 to 100 percent of its own body weight. If a mole is unable to find food for as short as six hours, it faces a significant risk of starvation. The mole’s expansive tunnel network acts as a continuous series of traps, ensuring a steady supply of protein-rich invertebrates.
When Moles Encounter Amphibians
Moles are opportunistic feeders, which explains why they occasionally consume frogs. While their diet specializes in invertebrates, the Talpidae family is known to prey upon other small vertebrates, including fish, mollusks, and amphibians. A surface-dwelling, active frog is unlikely to be encountered. Predation occurs when a small, slow-moving, or juvenile amphibian falls into the mole’s tunnel system.
This opportunistic behavior is linked to the mole’s habit of food caching, a strategy primarily used to store earthworms for later consumption. A mole will bite the head segment of an earthworm, injecting a toxin in its saliva that paralyzes the prey without killing it. The immobilized worms are then stored in a dedicated underground chamber, creating a live “larder” that remains fresh for days or weeks.
Small amphibians that enter the mole’s domain, such as mole salamanders, are vulnerable to this predatory behavior. However, many amphibians, particularly toads and newts, possess potent skin toxins that serve as a defense against predators. This toxicity explains why amphibians are only an occasional part of the mole’s diet. Their consumption is a rare consequence of subterranean hunting, not a targeted food source.
Subterranean Hunting Techniques
Moles rely on a specialized sensory apparatus to navigate and hunt in the darkness, as they are functionally blind. They use a heightened sense of touch, primarily through thousands of tiny, dome-shaped mechanosensory receptors known as Eimer’s organs. These organs are located on the tip of the mole’s snout.
These organs function by detecting the smallest changes in pressure, texture, and shape as the mole touches the ground or tunnel walls. The mole constantly probes its environment, using repeated, brief touches to compress the organs against the substrate. This sensitive tactile system allows the mole to rapidly identify and locate prey that is moving or has fallen into its tunnels.
Moles are also highly sensitive to seismic cues, relying on vibrations traveling through the soil to locate prey from a distance. By detecting these minute movements, the mole can efficiently patrol its tunnel network and ambush any organism that has entered its territory. This combination of seismic detection and acute touch makes the mole a highly effective, though non-selective, subterranean predator.