Ussuri mole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ussuri mole |
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Mogera
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robusta
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| Ussuri mole range | |
The Ussuri mole (also known as the large mole) is a fascinating small mammal. Its scientific name is Mogera robusta. This mole spends almost all its life hidden underground in long tunnels. You can find Ussuri moles in parts of China, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia.
Contents
What Does the Ussuri Mole Look Like?
The Ussuri mole is built perfectly for digging! It grows to be about 154 to 172 mm (6 to 7 in) long, which is roughly the size of a large candy bar. Its tail is quite short, only about 20 mm (0.8 in) long.
Its body is shaped like a cylinder, which helps it move easily through tunnels. Its front feet are wide and flat, like little spades, with flat nails. These are perfect for digging. The mole's eyes are very tiny, as it doesn't need to see much in its dark underground home.
The fur on its back is short and thick, usually brownish-grey with a shiny look. Its belly is a silvery-yellow color, and it often has a grey patch on its chest. The skin on its nose and feet is yellowish. Even its short tail is covered with hair.
Where Do Ussuri Moles Live?
Ussuri moles live in the northeastern parts of China, the Korean peninsula, and southeastern Russia. They prefer places like mountain forests, woodlands, grassy fields, and even farmland. However, you won't usually find them on very steep or rocky hillsides. They need soft soil for digging their tunnels!
Daily Life and Food
Ussuri moles are usually solitary, meaning they live alone. They are mostly active at night, but sometimes you might see them out on cloudy or rainy days.
These moles are great hunters underground! They mainly eat earthworms. They also enjoy munching on insects, spiders, slugs, and snails.
Home Sweet Home: Mole Tunnels
Ussuri moles are expert tunnel builders. They dig special feeding tunnels about 10 cm (4 in) below the ground surface. As they dig, they push soil up, creating those familiar piles of dirt called "mole hills" on the surface.
Their main tunnels can be very long, sometimes up to 450 m (1,500 ft) in total length! These deeper tunnels are usually at least 30 cm (12 in) below the surface. They connect the areas where the moles find food with places where they can drink water and their cozy nests.
The mole's nest is a round ball made of leaves and grasses. This is where they rest and raise their young.
Life Cycle and Family
Female Ussuri moles usually have between 2 to 6 babies at a time. The babies grow inside their mother for about 28 days before they are born.
Ussuri moles can live for up to four years. However, they sometimes become food for other animals like owls, snakes, and weasels.
Is the Ussuri Mole in Danger?
The Ussuri mole is found over a wide area, and in some places, there are many of them. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at the Ussuri mole's situation. They have decided that its conservation status is "least concern".
This means that even though the number of Ussuri moles might be slowly going down, it's not happening fast enough for them to be considered truly threatened or endangered right now. In the past, people used to hunt these moles for their fur, but that doesn't happen anymore. So, for now, the Ussuri mole is doing okay!
