European Mole

The European Mole, Talpa europaea, is a mammal of the order Soricomorpha. It is also known as the Common Mole and the Northern Mole.

This mole lives in an underground tunnel system, which it constantly extends. It uses these tunnels to hunt its prey. Under normal conditions the displaced earth is pushed to the surface, resulting in the characteristic "mole hills".

It has a cylindrical body and is around 12 cm (5 1/4 inches) long. Females are typically smaller than males. The eyes are small, and hidden behind fur. Its ear is just a small ridge in the skin. The fur is usually dark grey, but the actual range of colors is larger, as due to the subterranean habits there is no disadvantage in off-colored fur. European moles with white, light grey, tan, taupe, and black fur have all been reported.