Mole rat animal. Description, features, species, lifestyle and habitat of the mole rat

Name: Common, South Russian and small-eyed mole rat Lat.:
Spalax microphthalmus

Class: Mammals - Mammalia Order: Rodents - Rodentia Family: Mole rats - Spalacidae

Description and features

The mole rat belongs to the category of rodents. In the process of evolution, he completely adapted to life underground, which affected his appearance:

• it has a small body, up to 32 cm long;
• the weight of the animal can reach 1 kg;
• ears are missing;
• the paws and tail are short, therefore practically invisible;
• the body is covered with soft dark fur;
• the eyes atrophied and lost the ability to see. Due to the folds of the skin, they became completely invisible.

The mole rat in the photo looks like a mysterious and shy creature.

Spreading

Like the sand mole rat, it lives in the clayey and sandy semi-deserts of the Caspian regions of the north-eastern Ciscaucasia, in the lower reaches of the Sulaka, Terek and Kuma rivers. From r. Kuma to the south extends beyond the Gudermes-Makhachkala line. On the territory of Dogistan it lives in the Terek-Sulak and Terek-Kuma lowlands. This species is distributed unevenly, in patches, in the form of separate settlements.

Mole mole rat

What is the difference between a mole rat and a mole?

Some people mistakenly confuse these rodents with moles, but they are completely different animals. There are two main differences between them:

• The mole rat is much larger.
• The mole builds its tunnels with the help of its paws, but the second one has them poorly developed and has small claws, so it carries out construction work thanks to its front incisors.
• Moles feed on insects, and mole rats prefer roots and plant stems.

Animal pest

Branched underground labyrinths are perfect for the life of mole rats, but can cause anxiety for humans. If a garden or personal plot becomes the habitat of this rodent, you can say goodbye to the lion's share of the harvest. Most likely, the animal will like carrots, potatoes and onions. He may also like onion flowers, legumes, corn and young trees.

Endless piles of dug up earth, subsidence of the soil, sudden disappearance of planted crops and even small trees - this is what people observe when a common mole rat settles on their plot of land. The description of his sabotage can be continued for a long time, and stopping them is an impossible task for many.

Kinds

In nature, there are several species of rodents that differ in color, size and place of residence:

• The common or South Russian mole rat has a gray-brown color. It belongs to the most common species. Lives on the territory of Moldova, Ukraine, Russia. Its soft skin is beginning to be used for making fur coats, but not in large quantities, which is why the common mole rat is not yet listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. It is also characterized by a stable population, thanks to which the number of these animals is maintained.

• The giant mole rat is the largest representative, weighing up to a kilogram. It has a light gray or brown coat color. Older individuals have white spots on the head and body. This species is characterized by poor reproduction, which is why it is included in the Red Book of Russia and the International List of Nature Conservation.

• The sandy representative is similar in appearance to its giant relative. Prefers to live in the forest-steppe and near the Dnieper. The rodent is also under protection.

• The Podolsk species is relatively small in size. It is on the verge of extinction and is therefore considered an endangered species.

• The white-toothed is the smallest rodent, whose length barely reaches 20 cm. Its characteristic dark brown color. The mole rat lives in Turkey, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.

• The Bukovinian representative is slightly different from other species in the shape of its head. This species is found in European countries.

Giant mole rat - Spalax giganteus

Today, the most famous rodent-digger is the mole. And such a representative of the fauna as the giant mole rat remains little known, although it is not inferior in size to the mole. Its brothers (lesser mole rat, common mole rat and sand mole rat) are more common and there is more information about them. The sand mole rat is most similar to the giant mole rat in terms of appearance and biology. This animal is also a very interesting species and has its own characteristics that distinguish it from other representatives of rodent-dwellers.

Sand mole rat

Lesser mole rat

Common mole rat

Lifestyle and habitat

The family of rodents, depending on their habitat, is divided into 4 species, which prefer to live in the desert, forest-steppe, steppe and on the outskirts of forests. They are widespread in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Animals spend almost their entire lives underground. There they set up entire labyrinths, where they feel very comfortable.

An interesting fact is that fleas that parasitize rodents have also evolved and lost their vision. Soils of moderate density are suitable for mole rats. They avoid clay and sandy soil. Rodents choose pastures that have lush vegetation. are often found in the garden .

Features of housing construction

Animals dig out their burrows with their teeth. Even the head is involved in the construction of the labyrinth. The animal bites into the soil with its front teeth and pushes out excess soil from its home using its spade-shaped head. The lower jaw is also adapted for construction work. Thanks to the muscles, the incisors can move.

Due to the construction of the tunnel, the front teeth are ground down, but they quickly grow back, so the construction is even useful for the underground dweller. Individuals who live in captivity suffer greatly due to overgrown incisors. Because of them, mole rats cannot close their mouths.

The animal’s nose is also adapted for construction work. It is covered with keratinized skin, which protects it from mechanical injury when tearing up the ground. On one hectare you can find from 2 to 10 individuals. The animals actively build labyrinths in the spring, and from the summer they lead a more passive lifestyle. The underground dweller does not go into hibernation.

The warm-blooded mole rat builds its housing in several tiers:

• First comes the block, which is located at a depth of 20-30 cm. It is called the food block. The animal stores food reserves in it.
• The second block is located at a depth of about 4 meters. It contains a storage room, summer and winter nests.

In winter, the labyrinth is closed with earth and does not open until spring. One tunnel covers an area of ​​up to 450 m. It contains about 10 storage rooms. If there is a lot of earth on the surface, the animal breaks out a new exit. It is always closed during the daytime. The animal becomes active at night and in the afternoon.

Underground inhabitants lead a solitary lifestyle. They diligently protect their territory from other individuals. In the event of an invasion, clashes occur between males, which can result in the death of one of them.

Animal similarities

Despite the significant differences between the two underground inhabitants, they have much in common. The habitat of animals can overlap in steppe and forest-steppe zones. The mole rat prefers drier turf soils. Moles are found in the forest zone, in lowlands, ravines, where the ground is damp and inhabited by worms.

On a note!

A common feature of these unusual burrow dwellers is reduced vision. Most animals have very small eyes; they are difficult to see among the fur. Some species lost their organs of vision, which were subsequently covered with folds of skin.

Mole and mole rat
The calling card of both animals is the throwing of earth to the surface while digging tunnels. It is by this action that you can determine where the diggers are found. Their underground activities are striking in their scale. One individual makes more than 300 soil emissions per season, which amounts to several cubic meters of soil. And the length of the tunnels of one animal can reach 350 meters.

Reproduction and lifespan

Mole rats live from 2 to 9 years. Life expectancy depends on their living conditions. The number of animals is negatively affected by loosening the soil, drought and excessive moisture. Mole rats have few natural enemies, since they spend almost their entire lives underground. They are hunted only by the steppe polecat, which penetrates into their home. When young animals settle on the surface, they can become prey for a fox or a bird of prey.

Despite their solitary lifestyle, during the breeding season rodents form families, which consist of a male and two females. Individuals that live in the neighborhood converge with each other. The male makes a passage underground to the female, who during the mating season creates certain sounds, inviting him to her.

In such a family, cubs appear one after the other. One female gives birth in the first year, and the other in the second. Between February and May, 2-3 babies are born. A newborn is born without fur and its weight reaches only 5 grams, but the baby grows quickly.

When the young animals turn one year old, the cubs are settled into tiers - the girls move to the top, and the boys remain on the bottom. When they turn 3 years old, they are considered adults and begin an independent life.

How to recognize a pest?

The appearance of the rodent resembles a mole, but they cause much more harm to gardeners. Moles are mammals and feed on insects, but when digging they cause damage to plant roots. Mole rats are rodents; they eat various root crops growing on the site. They can also feed on plants; they will not even disdain onion flowers, which repel moles.

The animal has no organs of vision; where the eyes should be, it has a fold of skin covered with bristly hairs. The tail and ears are poorly developed. The body length of an adult mole rat can vary from 15 to 35 centimeters. Unlike the mole, it has small forelimbs. The main working tool of the pest are sharp teeth, or rather two protruding incisors. The remaining teeth are located inside, they are covered by multifold lips. It digs burrows in several tiers, the minimum depth of the burrows is usually 15 cm, and the maximum depth is three meters. The passages are quite spacious and can reach 12 cm in diameter; the mole rat needs this in order to move root crops along them.

The animal lives in the south of Russia, in the west of the Ciscaucasia, as well as throughout Ukraine. The mole rat is a mammal that belongs to the order of rodents, the mole rat family. They lead a predominantly underground lifestyle, and only occasionally come to the surface in search of food or a new place to live. In the countries of the former USSR, 4 types of mole rats are most common:

• giant;
• small;
• sandy;
• ordinary;

On the territory of Russia, you can most often see the common mole rat; it is also called small-eyed or South Russian. You can meet it both on your own site and in the forest-steppe zone, as well as on the edges and in the steppes. It lives in areas with herbal plants; the animal does not go far into the forest.

Interesting! Every year the number of mole rats is rapidly decreasing; “Giant” is even listed in the Red Book.

One single animal can cause enormous damage to a gardener; in the summer it mainly feeds on the above-ground parts of plants, but drags root crops into a hole, making reserves for the winter. In the animal's bins you can find up to 18 kg of various vegetables: beets, carrots, potatoes. It can harm not only garden crops, but also flowers, so gardeners should also be concerned when an uninvited guest appears. But what about several individuals or a family with offspring? Some sources say that in a day a blind person can eat as much food as he weighs. The mammal does not hibernate, but in the warm season it is more active.

These voracious animals do not have many enemies. In the wild, they often become prey for ferrets. Young individuals who are in search of a new habitat are often destroyed by foxes and birds of prey. On average, the lifespan of rodents is from 4 to 9 years.

Harm of mole rats to humans

There is a difficult relationship between rodents and people. Animals cause great damage to summer cottages and cause colossal losses to farmers. One animal can destroy an entire season's harvest. He makes large stocks in his pantries, stealing vegetables from summer residents and farmers. In a day, the pest is able to drag away 6 bushes of root crops.

Excavated underground labyrinths also cause a lot of trouble. A summer cottage with heaps of earth piled up is not a very attractive sight. If you step on an underground passage, you can easily fall into it up to your ankles. The inconvenience of tunnels is also felt on field roads, which the animal mole rat also does not avoid.

Feeding features of the mole rat

Mole rats in nature photo
Mole rats feed mainly on underground parts of plants: roots, rhizomes, bulbs and tubers. They also eat the above-ground parts of plants, which they drag into the burrow by the root.

Among the food plants that mole rats eat, Compositae, umbelliferous and legume crops predominate. For the winter, the animal makes large reserves (more than 10 kg).

Methods of pest control

In the fight against mole rats, poisons that are intended for baiting rats and moles, traps, traps and cats are actively used. The use of poison remains the most effective method in the fight against rodents.

Chemicals must be used with great care. After all, they can also attract curious or hungry pets. It is also necessary to take into account the degree of toxicity of the substance used, because it can get into the soil and cause harm to the owner.

The following pesticides are very popular among farmers:

• "Brodifan" is available in liquid form. They impregnate the bait; 1 kg will require 20 g of Brodifan. On the 4th day after consuming the poison, mole rats will begin to experience attacks of suffocation. They can come to the surface and die over time.
• “Testox” is produced in the form of red briquettes, weighing 10 g. They have a pleasant aroma of peanuts, sunflowers, vanilla and cheese. Its action is similar to the drug Brodifan. On the 4th day, the animals experience attacks of suffocation, and on the 6th day they die due to paralysis of the respiratory system.
• The drug "Storm" is considered one of the most effective. It was developed by the German company BASF. The substance is produced in the form of blue briquettes. “Storm” has a strong aroma that will definitely attract pests.

How do common mole rats live?

An ordinary mole rat, in short, spends its entire life, which is an average of 2.5-4 years, underground, digging complex tunnel systems and obtaining food. Most of all, the animal loves the roots, tubers and bulbs of plants, but it can also feast on stems and leaves. About 10 kg of food supplies must be prepared for the mole rat for the winter. At this time of year, its vital activity noticeably decreases, but the rodent does not hibernate.

The optimal population density of the common mole rat is 3 individuals per hectare, but this number can reach up to 20. With the help of sharp incisors and paws, the animals dig through a branched two-tier system of burrows. The upper tier lies at a depth of 20-25 cm, and the lower one, where the mole rat forms galleries for nesting and storing food supplies, is at a depth of 3-4 m. The external holes are not permanent, but are formed only in order to bring dug up earth to the surface .

Is it worth using traps?

Mole rats have excellent intelligence, thanks to which they deftly avoid traps and various kinds of traps. Elderly individuals sense danger especially well. It is almost impossible to lure them into a trap.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that the animals live deep underground, where it is simply impossible to reach with a trap. In any case, you need to try and use some cunning. Suddenly the underground dweller loses his vigilance and falls into a trap.

To set a trap, you need to find a tunnel dug by the rodent and dig a hole in it, at least 1 meter deep. The mole mole does not like drafts, so it will crawl out of the hole to seal the passage, and this is where the installed trap comes in handy, which needs to be covered with plywood on top for camouflage.

The rodent has a good sense of human odor, so you need to wear gloves when setting the trap. All parts of the structure should be treated with onions, which with their pungent aroma will cover the human smell.

Measures to combat mole rats

Measures to combat mole rats coincide with measures to combat moles. However, as in the second case, they are often ineffective and require persistence.

In particular, repeated deep digging of the soil, which destroys the feeding systems of their passages, helps get rid of pests. Repelling with unpleasant odors. Using commercial repellers.

You can also catch a mole rat by hand. To do this, you need to identify a freshly dug hole, find another entrance and excavate it. The animal cannot stand drafts and therefore, most likely, will try to fix the destroyed passage, at which point it will be possible to catch it.

They drive the animal out of the hole with the help of water. To do this, they find a mole rat mound of earth mixed with clay, this is the entrance to a hole with a nest, and fill it.

Some sources contain recommendations for the use of traps, but those who have encountered the animal claim that the mole rat somehow recognizes them and deftly avoids them.

Repellent methods of control

Animal lovers who feel sorry for destroying mole rats can use repellents. Although they will not destroy the enemy, they can force them to leave the area. Pests have a good sense of smell, so you can throw a piece of fabric soaked in kerosene or diesel fuel into their hole. The underground inhabitants will perceive them as a threat and leave the area.

Mole rats cannot tolerate the smell of wormwood, elderberry, mint, medicinal blackroot and imperial hazel grouse, the unpleasant aroma of which comes from the bulb itself. If you plant such plants on a site, you can hope that the rodent will bypass it. Mole rats do not like excessive noise, so you can make your own repeller that will help drive them out:

• A piece of reinforcement is driven into the ground so that 40 cm remains above the surface.
• They put an empty metal can on it and wait for windy weather.
• From the gusts, the bank will begin to hit the reinforcement, and an unpleasant noise will spread underground.

Special devices that emit ultrasound are effective in pest control. When buying such a device, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• Radius of action. It will not be possible to save the site with the help of one device. You need to immediately purchase several ultrasonic emitters.
• Availability of settings. It must be possible to change frequencies. Otherwise, rodents will get used to them and stop avoiding the area.

The advantage of such equipment is that it repels other pests. The site will remain under reliable security.

Harm from the blind

If we describe the result of the rodent’s “work,” it looks like “closets,” dug holes, and numerous underground passages in the garden. Just one adult individual can “take” a huge part of the harvest from its owners. If a family of blind people with large incisors lives on the site, then you can simply forget about the yield of potatoes, carrots, and beets.

The second unpleasant point is that underground passages can have a diameter of about 4-20 cm. The blind man digs very actively and quickly, and damaged parts of plants will be noticeable almost immediately after the rodent settles on the site.

The third point is that the “underground passage system” seriously harms the soil, which also affects productivity, as it interferes with the normal development of plants.

House hunters

Hunting breeds of dogs that are accustomed to attacking underground can help in exterminating mole rats. Dachshunds and spaniels are well suited for such purposes. If a cat catches rats, it can also be taught to hunt mole rats. Especially when we are talking about a cat mother who is ready to do anything to protect her babies.

To lure out the pest, you need to dig up its labyrinth, at least a meter deep, and dig another hole about 40 centimeters near the exit. When the rodent appears to bury the failed exit, a cat is seated in the prepared hole, which will show its hunting abilities. As you can see, there are many methods to combat mole rats. Some of them are humane, while others are cruel.

With their help, you can destroy pests or ensure that they leave the area. Considering that they have poorly developed limbs, the animals will not go far, but will simply move to their neighbors. On the one hand, rodents cause great damage to garden plots, and on the other hand, they are listed in the Red Book. Therefore, how to get rid of a mole rat , whether to kill it or not, is a personal matter for each summer resident.

Interesting Facts

1. If a giant mole rat needs to make a 180-degree turn and move in the opposite direction, it does a kind of somersault, which is not typical for earth-moving animals.
2. The fur of a blind rodent is capable of folding in different directions. This allows you to easily move through dug tunnels forward or in reverse.
3. A mole rat can dig a hole 85 centimeters long in twenty minutes, throwing out 25,000 cubic centimeters of earth.
4. A large number of vegetables were found in the storage rooms built by giant mole rats. One of them contained about 15 kg of various garden vegetables, and the other contained 18 kilograms of potatoes.

If a giant mole rat accidentally falls on the earth's surface, it will initially freeze for several minutes, and then make circular movements in one place, then move backwards, then burrow into the ground at high speed.