Moles are subterranean mammals that spend nearly their entire lives hidden beneath the earth’s surface. These creatures are often encountered through the distinctive mounds of soil they create in yards and gardens. While their presence is noticeable, much about their daily lives and habits remains a mystery.
Do Moles Eat Snakes?
Moles do not typically eat snakes. Their diet consists primarily of invertebrates found within the soil. While it is possible for a mole to encounter a small snake underground, such an event would be an anomaly rather than a common feeding behavior. Moles are insectivores, meaning their bodies are adapted for a diet based on insects and other small soil-dwelling creatures.
Mole tunnels, however, can sometimes indirectly influence the presence of snakes. The extensive tunnel systems created by moles might be utilized by other small animals, such as rodents, which could then attract snakes to an area. Despite this indirect connection, moles themselves are not predators of snakes.
The True Mole Diet
Moles are voracious eaters with a very high metabolism, requiring them to consume a significant amount of food daily to sustain their energy. Earthworms form the largest and most important part of a mole’s diet. These invertebrates are abundant in the moist, loose soil where moles prefer to dig.
Beyond earthworms, moles consume a variety of other soil-dwelling invertebrates. Their diet includes grubs, insect larvae, slugs, snails, spiders, and other small arthropods. A mole can eat between 60% and 100% of its own body weight in food each day. Moles also possess a unique adaptation: their saliva contains a toxin that can paralyze earthworms, allowing them to store their prey alive in underground “larders” for later consumption.
Life Underground: How Moles Find Food
Life underground necessitates specialized adaptations for finding food in complete darkness. Moles are expertly equipped for their subterranean existence, primarily relying on senses other than sight. Their eyes are very small, often hidden beneath their fur, and their vision is limited, mainly discerning light and movement.
Moles possess powerful, spade-like front paws with large claws, which are rotated outwards to efficiently excavate soil. These limbs are highly adapted for digging, allowing them to construct extensive networks of tunnels. Their tunneling itself serves as a hunting strategy, as earthworms and other invertebrates often fall into these pathways, becoming trapped for the mole to find.
Their keen senses of smell and touch are paramount for detecting prey. Moles can “smell in stereo” by processing scent cues differently between their two nostrils, which helps them pinpoint the exact location of food sources underground. Their snouts are also highly sensitive, covered with specialized sensory hairs called vibrissae, which aid in tactile sensing and navigation. This combination of digging prowess and acute sensory perception allows moles to efficiently locate and secure their invertebrate diet in their dark, underground world.