Moles are subterranean creatures that spend most of their lives underground. They have adaptations like strong forelimbs for digging and small, poorly developed eyes, as vision offers little advantage in dark tunnels. Instead, moles rely on keen senses of touch and smell to navigate and interact with their environment. These specialized senses are crucial for understanding their unique communication methods.
The Sounds Moles Make
While moles don’t typically “squeak” like mice, they produce diverse vocalizations. Naked mole-rats are highly vocal, with 17 to 25 distinct call types identified. These sounds serve various purposes, from social bonding to alerting others of potential danger.
Chirps are a common greeting when moles encounter each other, strengthening social bonds. These chirps can carry information about the mole’s identity and colony affiliation. Other vocalizations include grunts and hisses, associated with aggression, warnings, or distress. A mole might grunt to its pups to indicate safety, or a male might bark to warn another male away from its territory. Squeals are also produced as distress calls, especially when a mole is handled or stepped on.
Moles can hear a wide range of frequencies. Their low-frequency vocalizations propagate well through tunnels, though their relatively poor hearing sensitivity suggests these sounds are effective over short distances.
How Moles Communicate
Beyond vocalizations, moles use non-auditory methods that are highly effective in their dark, underground habitats. Scent marking is a primary form of communication, where moles use glands to mark tunnels and territories. They use urine, feces, and glandular secretions to convey information about kin, territorial boundaries, and social status. Their sophisticated stereoscopic sense of smell allows them to pinpoint scent direction and intensity, aiding navigation and food location.
Vibrational, or seismic, communication is another important method for moles. Moles can sense ground tremors caused by the movement of other moles, predators, or even potential prey. Certain mole-rat species, like blind mole-rats, use head or foot drumming to create vibrational signals that travel through soil. These deliberate vibrations can serve as long-distance warnings or territorial declarations. The star-nosed mole’s unique nose, with 22 tentacle-like appendages, is exceptionally sensitive to touch and vibrations, aiding rapid detection of prey and environmental cues.
Tactile communication is also important for moles, given their limited vision. Sensitive snouts and tactile hairs (vibrissae) provide detailed feedback about surroundings. The star-nosed mole’s specialized nose, for example, is six times more sensitive than a human hand, allowing rapid exploration and prey identification. Physical contact, like face-to-face touching, is observed in social species such as naked mole-rats and aids social recognition. This keen sense of touch helps moles differentiate soil types, navigate effectively, and understand earth consistency as they dig.