How the mole rat adapted to its environment. The mole rat is a dangerous pest of the garden and vegetable garden.

Mole rats are a genus of mammals from the mole rat family of the order of rodents. Includes about 4 species, of which the most common are the common and giant mole rats. Leads an underground lifestyle.

Description of the rodent

The body length is from 23 to 30 cm, the tail is short. The ears are missing, the eyes are atrophied and hidden under the skin, which is why the animal got its name. The legs are short, the hands and feet are slightly widened. The claws are large, but smaller than those of the zokor. The fur is short, thick, very soft, without lint. All sense organs are well developed, only vision is missing. Elongated tactile hairs grow near the mouth, on the cheeks, forehead, abdomen and behind the body.

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, Asteraceae, Umbelliferae and legumes. For the winter, the animal makes large reserves (more than 10 kg).

The distribution area of this species includes Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. Mole rats live in steppes, forest-steppes and deserts.

The population density varies over a very wide range, reaching 20 or more individuals per hectare, and in general it is quite stable and not subject to sudden changes. The optimal population density of mole rats is 3 individuals per hectare; if the number of rodents decreases to 1-2 individuals per hectare, then the risk of population degradation increases. The population size of mole rats fluctuates with significant changes in conditions environment, For example, negative influence have both droughts and high humidity soil, as well as plowing of land.

Common species of mole rat

A large rodent with a body length of adults from 20 to 32 cm, weighing about 700 g or more. The body is elongated, cylindrical, the neck is not pronounced. The paws are greatly shortened, the tail is reduced, hidden under the skin. The head is flat, wide, and the shape at the top resembles the bayonet of a shovel. The eyes are reduced, hidden under the skin. The outer ear looks like a small cushion and is also hidden under the fur. The nose is covered with a bare horny sheath of black or brown color. The front incisors are large, protrude far forward beyond the mouth and are clearly visible. The fur is pale-gray-brown in color, but in general the species is characterized by significant variability in color.

The species is distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Russia and Ukraine between the Dnieper and Volga, in Moldova. The southern border of the range runs along the Caucasus Range. The mole rat lives in areas with grassy vegetation, does not go far into forests, but can live on the edges, in forest belts, in clearings and next to forest roads. In plowed areas the number of individuals is small.

A large rodent with a body length from 25 to 35 cm, weighing about 1 kg. The upperparts are light, gray-fawn or ocher-brown. In older individuals, the head is almost on top white. The belly is dark gray. Sometimes there are white spots on the stomach and forehead.

The species is endemic to the semi-deserts of the Caspian region of the north-eastern Ciscaucasia. Found near the Kuma, Terek and Sulak rivers. Mole rats, which live in a separate population beyond the lower reaches of the Ural River in Kazakhstan, are sometimes classified as a separate species, the Ural mole rat (Spalax uralensis).

Sexual dimorphism is not typical for mole rats.

Mole rats lead an underground lifestyle; they dig complex burrows up to 250 m long, at a depth of about 3.5 m. Mole rats come to the surface in very rare cases.

Mole rats chew through the ground with their strong front incisors, but do not dig. The lateral folds of the lips behind the incisors close the mouth tightly during this process. The animal pushes the chewed off earth under itself. Having accumulated a pile of soil, the mole rat turns around and pushes it to the surface with its wide shovel-shaped head. If the pile on the surface becomes very large, the mole rat seals the exit to it and digs a new one. During the day, the mole rat's residential burrows are always closed.

Rodents place food reserves in sections of regular passages, and do not build separate chambers for this. Having filled such a segment, the mole rat walls it up with soil from all sides. There are up to 10 such “storerooms” in each burrow. The area of the feeding area for an adult mole rat is 0.02-0.09 hectares, the length of feeding passages is up to 450 meters or more per individual. In addition, mole rats build a system of summer and winter nests.

Mole rats are active all year round; they do not hibernate, but winter period their activity decreases. Peak daily activity occurs at night and in the second half of the day.

Adult mole rats live separately and show strong aggression towards their relatives (their fights, as a rule, end fatal). The population of mole rats differs in a certain way social structure, consists of family groups of 1 male and 1-2 females, whose burrows are connected by passages or arranged in a row. Such family groups are stable and disintegrate only after the death of one of the partners. Approximately half of the males live outside family groups and are completely excluded from the breeding process.

The average lifespan of mole rats ranges from 2.5 to 4 years; sometimes mole rats live up to 9 years. Young animals are characterized by high survival rate.

Mole rats breed once a year, in late winter or early spring. In each family group Only one female breeds at the age of 3-7 years. If there are two of them in a group, then in the spring the male leaves the area of the breeding female and creates a pair with the female, who will begin breeding next year. Babies are born at the end of February and until mid-May. There are 2-3 cubs in one litter. At the end of May, the resettlement of young mole rats begins and this process continues until autumn. Young males settle mainly underground, females - on the surface. For this reason, females in the first year of life are characterized by high mortality. The dispersal range ranges from a couple of tens to hundreds of meters.

Natural enemies

Mole rats are solitary animals. Adult mole rats live only in separate burrows. They are very careful and rarely fall into human traps.
The mole rat can cause damage to agricultural crops in gardens and household plots. Soil emissions make it difficult to carry out field work, for example, mechanized mowing of perennial grasses for hay, and spoil field roads. At the same time, it is difficult to fight the mole rat due to its underground lifestyle. For this purpose, mechanical traps and repellent devices are used.
The giant mole rat is a protected species listed in the Red Book of Russia and the IUCN Red List.

Today we will talk about a representative of the mole rat family. The mole rat, the photo of which will be presented below, is different from the mole appearance, food addictions. It happens that one fine day summer residents discover earthen mounds and dug underground tunnels in their garden. You walk along the site, and your leg suddenly sinks to your ankle or even lower. Often the first thought that comes to mind is moles! But this is not always the case. Let’s not downplay the mole’s “merits” in this case. But this is not about him. In different areas, the mole rat is called differently: Zinsky puppy, earthen puppy, earthen dog, blind man.

Photo of the mole rat:

What does a mole rat eat and what does it look like?

In fact, mole rats cause more significant damage to the garden than moles. Insectivorous diggers are a nuisance by digging hills and burrows in the area, but mole rats are real rodents.

What does a mole rat eat in the garden? They love to feast on root vegetables: potatoes, beets, carrots, they do not deprive stems and leaves of attention, they also like flowers with a bulbous root system. Closer to winter, the rodent makes significant reserves (about 10 kg). It is active all year round, does not hibernate, but before the cold weather approaches it becomes a little calmer.

Who is a mole rat? It is often confused with a mole, and is even often called the mole mole, but this is a misnomer. A mole is a mole, and a mole rat is a mole rat. He is much larger than his “colleague”. The mole digs the ground with its paws. But in the mole rat they are poorly developed (five-fingered, with small claws), so it digs tunnels up to 450 meters long with its powerful teeth. With its wide incisors, the animal seems to gnaw out the ground. The lips are located behind them and have many folds - this nuance helps prevent soil from getting into the animal’s mouth. His head is flat, spade-shaped, his eyes are reduced, and in their place there is a fold of skin. The ears and tail are also weakly defined, the entire body is covered with thick, dense hair.

Blind rodent, photo:

The rodent's habitat is steppes, fields, virgin areas, forest belts, and gullies. Common mole rat digs multi-tiered holes with complex system moves. The so-called feeding passages are located at a depth of 10-30 cm. Deeper fragments branch off from them. These are nesting and storage compartments located at a depth of 80 cm to 3 meters. In the process of digging passages, the animal throws heaps of earth to the surface, which can reach impressive sizes. Getting rid of a mole rat is fraught with certain difficulties, since most of the time it remains underground.

Traces of rodent activity, photo:

The mole rat, how to deal with it, methods, means, traps

An effective way to combat pests is strong poisons, similar to those used for baiting rats. But in this situation there is another side to the coin - pets or even children may suffer. Installing traps or live traps will require time and prudence from you, since mole rats are quite smart and often avoid dangerous places. Old, experienced rodents are distinguished by their instincts, they often bypass cunning traps, they can even show aggression - growling when they suspect a threat to life. Traps should be placed near the entrance to the burrows.

Traps and traps for mole rats, photo:

If you have an active cat or a cat that has previously successfully caught rats, you can try introducing them to mole rat hunting. This method has been successfully and tested more than once by summer residents.

This is done like this: the location of the rodent’s underground passage is determined (the soil collapses underfoot), and with the help of a shovel, about half a meter of the hole is torn off. Since the mole rat is sensitive to temperature changes and drafts, it soon appears to fill the open entrance with earth. After this, do not waste time, in the area of the exit from the hole, dig a wide hole (50 cm), approximately 30-40 cm deep, then take a tailed partner and wait for the rodent to appear. Young individuals are less agile and easier to catch. By the way, dogs are no less reliable helpers in this matter.

Experienced mole rats can be caught using the hook method. To do this, again, the entrance to the hole is dug, a long wire with a hook at the end is inserted inside (two or three hooks are possible). At the other end of the wire there is a loop, with the help of which the hook is secured in the hole (so that the mole rat does not inadvertently drag away the trap). Having reacted to a draft, the rodent will rush to the exit and get hooked; any movements to the sides will only aggravate its situation. When you come to inspect the holes, you can remove the animal, remove the hook - then decide its fate at your own discretion.

How to catch a mole rat using water? In this case, you will not get by with one or two buckets. It's good if you have a long irrigation hose, otherwise you will need about 10 buckets of water. First, you need to determine the tunnel leading exactly to the hole. Ordinary moves can be calculated by the type of land, which is dug in the form of mounds. The passage leading into the hole will be distinguished by the presence of clay in the hill. Mole rat nests are located on great depth, where clay is present.

You need to dig a hole near the clay embankment and direct a continuous flow of water deep into the passage. Such holes usually have a screw-shaped depression; if you generously pour water into them, the mole rat will sooner or later float out. Grab the animal and follow at your own discretion.

Crossbows, traps, poison are methods that lead to the death of a rodent; water and an electronic repeller (for example, “Tornado”) are more humane. Sometimes on forums you can see recommendations regarding “smoking” a mole rat out of a hole using a hose connected to the exhaust pipe of a car. This method helps to drive animals away from the site for a couple of months, but due to significant soil contamination, I would not recommend it.

The electronic repeller of moles and mole rats gives a very good effect - rodents cannot tolerate vibrations and try to get out of the area as quickly as possible. The main thing in this matter is not to skimp on the repellers themselves (it’s better to have a lot of them) and on high-power batteries for them.

The mole rat, the photo of which now will not allow you to confuse it with another animal, is a voracious pest, and it is also a long-liver. To protect your harvest, choose the method that suits you best.

Watch the video of a mole rat digging a hole in the wild:

Mole rat. For some, this animal is a discovery, but for others, it is a harmful neighbor with whom they have to constantly fight. Either he destroys the tulips, or he tends to the potato patch - it’s spring, but he spoils the mood!

Mole rat. © Ian Steadman

(Spalax) is a genus of mammals of the mole rat family of the order of Rodents, leading an underground lifestyle. There are about 4 types in it.

Content:

What kind of animal is this, a mole rat?

The mole rat's lifestyle is similar to that of a mole: it lives exclusively underground, digs long systems of passages, and pushes excess soil to the surface, forming unsightly mounds. But in general, this is a completely different animal, differing in appearance, body structure, behavioral characteristics, and even the nature of its harmfulness...

Mole rats are small animals, only up to 30-32 cm long, without ears, without a pronounced neck, with atrophied eyes hidden under the skin, a very small inconspicuous tail and short gray fur. Unlike moles, which feed on insects, animals feed on plant foods - they eat rhizomes, roots, tubers, and bulbs. To get to the above-ground parts of plants, they are dragged into a hole by the root. They especially love legumes, umbelliferae, and asteraceae. The stems and leaves are eaten mainly in spring and early summer.

The burrow systems of mole rats are distinguished by tiers. The first tier is food, located at a depth of 20-25 cm from the soil surface. The second, includes connecting tunnels, summer and winter nests, supply storage, is located at a depth of 3-4 m.

If moles loosen the soil with their front paws, mole rats use powerful incisors. And the heaps of earth in the “blind rat lands” are larger than those of moles. The soil thrown to the surface reaches a mass of up to 10 kg and forms mounds with a diameter of about 50 cm.

Mole rats prefer isolation. When confronted, males fight until only one remains alive. But at the same time, for each male there are 1-2 females, with whom they coexist during the breeding season. An area of 1 hectare can be simultaneously inhabited by 3 to 20 (and sometimes more) animals.

The most active periods in the life of animals are March, April and May. By summer, and then in winter, their vital activity decreases significantly, but they do not hibernate.

Mole rat habitat

The mole rat family includes four species. Each of them has its own habitat, but in general animals are found in the zone of steppes, forest-steppes, semi-deserts, deserts, and very rarely on the outskirts of forests. They prefer soils of moderate density, avoiding clay soils and sands. They do not live in particularly wet places or on salt marshes.

Common mole rat. © Kudinov

Harm from mole rats

The harmfulness of mole rats is quite high. It is connected with their habits: mounds of earth disrupt the aesthetic appearance of park areas, complicate work in fields, hayfields and in garden plots. Eating plants destroys plantings and destroys flower beds.

Potatoes, corn, onions, legumes, carrots, fodder and sugar beets suffer the most from the animal. One animal damages 4 to 6 root crop bushes per day.

In some regions, animals destroy about 20% of the beet crop, 10% of the corn crop and about 15% of the potato crop. The reserves of one mole rat contain up to 18 kg of these valuable crops.

Surface network of mole rat tunnels. © naturgucker

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.

Niramin - Nov 25th, 2015

The common mole rat (Spalax microphtalmus) is a rodent mammal that leads an underground lifestyle. Found in steppe and forest-steppe zones Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, mainly in pastures and unplowed lands, along forested areas.

Appearance

This animal reaches 30-35 cm in length, striking at the first meeting complete absence eyes and ears, looks quite unusual. However, the mole rat does have these sense organs, although they are underdeveloped and hidden under the skin. The large spade-shaped head has prominent incisors, developed enough to make underground passages. The entire body is covered with gray-brown fur.

Lifestyle and habits

Lives underground, prefers a solitary lifestyle. It constructs several tiers of underground labyrinths connecting residential burrows with utility chambers and “latrines.” The mole rat uses its nose to push soil to the surface when digging tunnels. In the spring it makes new moves, by winter it clogs summer surface burrows and settles down to spend the winter in the central part of its “apartments.”

It feeds on plant rhizomes and their aerial parts. Remains active all year round and does not hibernate, but makes reserves for the winter that are 10-20 times its body weight. When a mole rat settles near potato crops or other crops, it causes significant damage to the crop.

Reproduction

The male makes his way to the female, guided by the vibration of the soil and the sounds she makes. Mating usually occurs in late February - early March. A young female brings one cub, an adult – 2-3 in a litter. Sexual maturity occurs at 2-3 years of age. They communicate by tapping on the walls of the passages and characteristic puffing.

Life expectancy is about 5 years, although they can survive at favorable conditions up to 8-9 years.

Common mole rat in the photographs below:

Photo: Common mole rat in a hole.

Video: Common mole rat

The mole rat does not appear in the garden as often as a mole, for example, or a shrew, but it can cause much more damage to the crop. This rodent is capable of digging long tunnels, where it arranges special places for storing crops grown in the garden.

Getting rid of such a pest is not so easy and fighting it does not always have a positive effect. Sometimes you have to use a whole range of tools.

Few people know that there is also such a pest that can take away a significant part of the harvest from its owners. It is almost impossible to see it on the surface of the ground during such an activity as destroying crops.

Pest information:

The pest can grow up to 30 cm in length.
It has no eyes, but in their place there is a fold of skin, in the upper part of which hard hairs grow.
The tail and ears are not large at all, and the front legs are short.
The animal's fur has a dark gray tint with a blue tint, and adult individuals are distinguished by a characteristic "gray hair".
The pest has powerful front incisors, which help it dig long underground passages. Only the 2 front incisors are clearly distinguishable.
The pest digs long tunnels in several tiers.
The animal's diet includes potatoes, carrots, beets, worms, insects, etc. Loves onions most of all.
When a mole rat appears on a personal plot, it begins to destroy large plants, dragging them into a dug underground passage. After this, he eats the tops and places the root crops in his storage. Sometimes his storage facilities contain up to 50 kg of various root crops.
It is not difficult to detect the presence of the animal if you pay attention to the peculiar mounds that look like the entrance to mole holes. Such mounds can be seen both in the garden and next to it.

Reasons for appearance

This pest, like many others, is looking for something to profit from. Naturally, on a backyard or summer cottage the owners grow everything that is necessary to feed the mole rat. In addition to vegetables, there are worms and enough insects on the site. The higher the yield on the site, the greater the chance that this pest will appear here.

The mole rat does not hibernate during the winter, so it requires a lot of food. It is possible that the pest will definitely settle in the area where the crop is taken care of.

The activity of this pest leaves behind long, several-tiered passages in the garden, as well as underground storerooms in which the animal stores part of the crop grown by the owners in their gardens. As a rule, it eats the green mass first and stores the root crops for the winter. Even one mole rat is capable of taking away a considerable share of the harvest. If several individuals appear on the site, then you can forget about high yields of crops such as potatoes, onions, beets and carrots.

In addition, it digs quite large tunnels, with a diameter of 5 to 15 cm, due to which it damages some plants in the area. The lower tiers can be located at a depth of up to 3 meters, and the upper ones - at a depth of 10 cm. Such a system of underground passages often does not allow the normal development of many cultivated plants.

How to get rid of mole rats on your property

Those who had to fight this rodent drew attention to the fact that the mole rat burrows quite deep into the ground, which complicates the fight against it. As already mentioned, the animal can burrow 3 meters deep, so in order to get it, you will have to dig up the entire area. In this regard, many owners are thinking about how to get rid of the animal in order to save the harvest. As you can see, the price of the issue is quite significant.

Experienced gardeners have tried a lot of methods and figured out how to get rid of such an unnecessary neighborhood. And here the most important thing is not to show excessive humanity, since several individuals with their cubs can deprive the owner of the harvest, especially since mole rats reproduce quite quickly.

Traps are used to combat many rodents, including mole rats. But first, it’s better to determine who is spoiling the crop so that the effect of installing traps is maximum.

For effective fight the following steps should be taken:

First of all, you need to carefully examine the area to find the entrance to the hole.
In this place you need to dig a hole well so that the mole rats have a draft. A depression is made near the main entrance at a distance of 50 cm and a trap is installed. The top of the trap is covered with plywood.
Since the pest is afraid of a draft, it will crawl out of the hole to cover it. As a result, the animal falls into a trap.

Some owners tear up the soil and place containers with water inside multi-tiered passages, as a result of which the mole rats cannot get out. This is a rather labor-intensive process, since you have to dig deep into the soil. In addition, it is not always possible to obtain the desired result.

Note! There is one but effective way getting rid of such a neighborhood. To do this, you need to take a rag, soak it in gasoline, kerosene and other foul-smelling substances, and bury this rag in the ground at various depths. In addition, animals react negatively to essential oils plants such as eucalyptus, cedar, lavender and others.

Thanks to the rapid development of electronics, science and technology, it has been possible to create modern devices that emit ultrasonic waves of various frequencies. Humans do not perceive these waves, but many animals and rodents react negatively to ultrasound. Sound waves in this range cause a feeling of fear in rodents, as a result of which they begin to panic and try to leave the uncomfortable area as quickly as possible. Not much time passes, and the rodents leave this area in search of more comfortable conditions for their life.

For effective control it is necessary to install several such devices. In this case, it makes no sense to install any additional traps. Ultrasonic repellers will operate throughout the entire area. They will help get rid of pests even if a good, promising crop for rodents is ripening on the site. Such devices will help the owner get rid of other pests, not just mole rats. Moles, shrews, mole crickets and other pests cannot tolerate ultrasound. The main thing is to choose the right devices in terms of power so that they protect the entire area.

Do-it-yourself repellent devices

In the process of fighting this voracious animal, it was found that he is afraid of noise. If loud sounds are constantly present in the area, then the pest tries to leave this area.

For implementation this method struggle, you will need metal rods up to 1 meter long. To these rods, any accessible ways tin cans of beer or condensed milk are attached. Under the influence of the wind, they will make quite loud sounds, which may not please not only mole rats, but also neighbors.