Baby mole rat. Mole rat (spalax) - a rodent without eyes. Catching a mole rat is the easiest way

06.03.2020

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 rat. Leads an underground lifestyle.

Description of the rodent

The length of the body is from 23 to 30 cm, the tail is short. The ears are absent, the eyes are atrophied and hidden under the skin, which is why the animal got its name. The paws are short, the hands and feet are slightly widened. The claws are large, but smaller than those of zokors. 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 the underground parts of plants: roots, rhizomes, bulbs and tubers. They also eat the above-ground parts of plants, which are dragged into the mink by the root.

Among the fodder plants that the mole rat eats, composite, umbrella and legume crops predominate. For the winter, the animal makes large reserves (more than 10 kg).

The distribution range of this species includes Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. Mole rats live in the steppes, forest-steppe and deserts.

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 drastic 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 of mole rats fluctuates with significant changes in environmental conditions, for example, both droughts and high soil moisture, as well as plowing, have a negative impact on it.

Common types 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 legs are strongly shortened, the tail is reduced, hidden under the skin. The head is flat, wide, the shape from above resembles a spade bayonet. The eyes are reduced, hidden under the skin. The outer ear looks like a small roller and is also hidden under the coat. The nose is covered with a bare horny cover of black or brown color. The front incisors are large, protrude far forward beyond the mouth and are clearly visible. The fur is colored pale-gray-brown, but in general, the species is characterized by significant variability in color.

The species is distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe zone of Russia and Ukraine between the Dnieper and the 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 of 25 to 35 cm, weighing about 1 kg. The upper body is light, gray-yellow or ocher-brown. In older individuals, the head is almost white on top. The belly is dark grey. Sometimes there are white spots on the abdomen and on the forehead.

The species is endemic to the semi-deserts of the Caspian region of the north-east of Ciscaucasia. Occurs near the rivers Kuma, Terek and Sulak. Mole rats, which live in a separate population beyond the lower reaches of the Ural River in Kazakhstan, are sometimes identified 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 minks up to 250 m long, at a depth of about 3.5 m. The mole rat comes to the surface in very rare cases.

Mole rats gnaw through the ground with their strong front incisors, but do not dig it. The lateral folds of the lips behind the incisors during this process tightly close the mouth. The animal pushes the gnawed earth under itself. Having accumulated a pile of soil, the mole rat turns around and pushes it to the surface with its wide spade-shaped head. If the heap on the surface becomes very large, the mole rat closes up the exit to it and digs out a new one. During the day, the living holes of the mole rat are always closed.

Rodents place food supplies in segments of normal passages, and do not build separate chambers for this. Having filled such a segment, the mole rat walled it up with soil from all sides. There are up to 10 such "pantries" in each mink. The area of the feeding area for an adult mole rat is 0.02-0.09 ha, 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 in winter their activity decreases. Peak daily activity occurs at night and in the afternoon.

Adult mole rats live separately and show strong aggression towards their relatives (their skirmishes, as a rule, end in death). The population of mole rats is distinguished by a certain social structure, it consists of family groups of 1 male and 1-2 females, the minks of which are connected by passages or arranged side by side. Such family groups are stable and break up 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 life expectancy of mole rats averages from 2.5 to 4 years, sometimes mole rats live up to 9 years. Juveniles have a high survival rate.

Mole rats breed once a year, at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. In each family group, only one female at the age of 3-7 years breeds. If there are two of them in the group, then in spring the male leaves the site of the breeding female and creates a pair with the female, who will start breeding next year. Babies are born in late February and up to 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 range of settlement is from a couple of tens to hundreds of meters.

natural enemies

Mole rats are solitary animals. Adult mole rats live only in individual burrows. They are very cautious and rarely fall into human traps.
The mole rat can harm crops in vegetable gardens and household plots. Soil emissions hinder field work, such as mechanized cutting of perennial grasses for hay, and damage field roads. At the same time, it is difficult to fight the mole rat because of its underground lifestyle. For this purpose, mechanical traps and scaring devices are used.
The giant mole rat is a protected species listed in the Red Book of Russia and the IUCN Red List.

The way of life of a mole rat is similar to a mole: it lives exclusively underground, digs long systems of passages, 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 harmfulness ...

mole rats(Spalax) - a genus of mammals of the mole rat family of the order of rodents, leading an underground lifestyle. It has about 4 types.

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 that feed on insects, animals feed on plant foods - they eat rhizomes, roots, tubers, and bulbs. To get to the above-ground part of the plants, they are dragged by the root into the hole. Particularly fond of legumes, umbellate, Compositae. The stems and leaves are mainly eaten in spring and early summer.

The systems of mole rats' moves differ in tieredness. The first tier - food, is located at a depth of 20 - 25 cm from the soil surface. The second one includes connecting tunnels, summer and winter nests, storehouses of supplies, located at a depth of 3-4 m.

If moles loosen the soil with their front paws, then mole rats use powerful incisors. Yes, and heaps of land in the "mole 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 is left 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 simultaneously be inhabited by from 3 to 20 (and sometimes more) animals.

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

Habitat

For its habitat, it most often chooses fields, steppes, forest belts, beams, and virgin lands.

The systems of underground passages in the mole rat have two tiers. The first is located at a depth of no more than 25 cm from the surface and is food, the second is at a depth of 3-4 meters. The second has nests for living in summer and winter, as well as food stores.

The mole digs the soil with its front paws, and the naked mole rat uses strong incisors. Heaps of earth are larger than those of moles. The mounds are capable of having a diameter of up to 50 cm, and the earth thrown to the surface sometimes has a mass of no less than 10 kg.

The blind dacha is capable of causing a lot of harm, and its destruction is very difficult to carry out, since the animal is underground for most of its life.

Lifestyle

The mole rat leads an exclusively underground lifestyle, coming to the surface in rare cases. It creates a highly branched two-tier system of holes. The longest is the upper “feeding” passage, lying at a depth of about 20–25 cm. In addition to the feeding layer, the mole rat arranges a system of summer and winter nests, as well as food stores. They are connected by passages to the second, deeper tier, which has a length of up to 4 m.

Laying passages, the mole rat loosens the soil with the help of powerful incisors, and then moves it to the surface, where characteristic heaps of earth, the so-called "mole rats", are formed. The weight of the thrown earth in one "mole rat" can exceed 10 kg, and the diameter can be 50 cm. The length of the moves of one mole rat reaches 450 m.

The common mole rat eats plants, the basis of its diet is rhizomes, bulbs and tubers. In spring and early summer, it also feeds on the aerial parts of plants (stems and leaves). The mole rat prefers Compositae, Umbelliferae and Legumes.

The mole rat is also active in winter. In order not to die of hunger, he stocks up for the winter. Acorns, rhizomes, bulbs of wild plants, potato tubers and even sugar beets were found in his underground pantries. Moreover, the stocks of the mole rat are considerable - their weight sometimes reaches 14 kg.

However, there are also such living creatures that mole rats benefit. Ground squirrels, voles, hamsters and other animals settle in abandoned mole rat tunnels.

Since the mole rat lives underground, he has few natural enemies, the main one is the steppe polecat, he can get to the mole rats in their own holes. Foxes, dogs, birds of prey and crows prey on young animals that settle on the surface.

The life span of this underground rodent is up to 9 years.

What does it eat

If there is no harvest on your site, then you should not blame all the blame on the mole. You need to decide which culture is missing. If these are potatoes, beets and carrots, then this is definitely a matter of the “teeth” of a mole rat.

In addition, the animal is not averse to eating bulbous crops, so flowers that have corms instead of roots may also suffer. It eats the mole rat and the aerial part of the plant, pulling the bush underground.

The favorite greens for the pest are peas, beans, beans, carrot tops. If the beast has enjoyed the grass, then he will prepare the root crop for himself for the future.

It is known that an adult individual is capable of eating as much food per day as it weighs itself, therefore, during excavations of its reserves for the winter, up to 18 kg of potatoes and other root crops were found, moreover, in different departments. Stocks for the winter can be dry berries, nuts.

Reproduction

Lesser mole rats are solitary animals. The tunnel network of one individual does not connect to the burrows of another.

Individuals of different sexes are found exclusively during the breeding season. The mating season for small mole rats begins in spring and lasts until summer. But to date, scientists do not know how deaf people find partners and create pairs.

Mole rats bring offspring once a year. One female in a litter can have up to 6 cubs, but, as a rule, 3-4 cubs are born. The blind woman feeds her offspring for 4 weeks.

Nothing is known about the life span of small mole rats, as well as about their mating behavior.

Harm

Mole rat holes

From the activity of this pest, long, several-tiered passages remain in the garden, as well as underground pantries, in which the animal stores part of the crop grown by the owners in their gardens. As a rule, he eats first of all the green mass, and folds the root crops for the winter. Even one mole rat is able to take a considerable share of the crop. If several individuals appear on the site, then you can forget about the high yields of crops such as potatoes, onions, beets and carrots.

In addition, he digs rather large passages, with a diameter of 5 to 15 cm, due to which he damages some plants on the site. 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 give normal development to many cultivated plants.

How to drive away a mole rat

Only one question arises when a common mole rat starts up on a personal plot - how to get rid of a pest? For many, this becomes a daunting task. After all, the animal is constantly hiding in the ground and its presence, creating new mounds and destroying planted plants, only at night.

It is best to try to create such conditions so that the animal leaves the land on its own. A lot of ways have been invented for this, but none of them guarantees that the animal will run away forever. But still, it is worth making every effort to get rid of the mole rat without spilling his blood.

One of the commonly used methods is to flood its tunnel with water. But this may require too much water, as the underground passages of the animal are very branchy. And if the soil quickly absorbs moisture, this method is completely useless. Some try to smoke a four-legged neighbor with smoke, pouring kerosene or fetid mixtures into the hole. Another way is to create constant noise in the area of \u200b\u200bhis residence, which the common mole rat cannot stand. Alternatively, you can use the installation of an ultrasonic repeller.

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

Getting rid of such a pest is not so easy and the fight against it does not always give a positive effect. Sometimes you have to use a whole set of tools.

Few people know that there is also such a pest that can take a significant part of the crop from the owners. It is almost impossible to see it on the surface of the soil for such an occupation as the destruction of the crop.

Pest information:

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

Reasons for the appearance

This pest, like many others, is looking for something to profit from. Naturally, in the 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 for the winter, so it needs a lot of food. It is possible that in the area where the crop is taken care of, the pest will definitely settle.

How to get rid of mole rats on the site

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

Experienced gardeners have tried a lot of ways 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 crop, especially since mole rats breed quite quickly.

Traps are used to control many rodents, including mole rats. But first, it is better to determine who spoils the crop so that the effect of setting traps is maximum.

For an effective fight, the following steps should be taken:

First of all, you need to carefully examine the site 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 recess is made near the main entrance at a distance of 50 cm and a trap is set. From above, 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 the trap.

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

On a note! There is one, but effective way to get 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 of plants such as eucalyptus, cedar, lavender and others.

Thanks to the rapid development of electronics, science and technology, it was possible to create modern devices that emit ultrasonic waves of various frequencies. A person does not perceive these waves, but many animals and rodents react negatively to ultrasound. Sound waves of 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 an effective fight, it is necessary to install several such devices. It does not make sense to install any additional traps. Ultrasonic repellers will operate throughout the site. 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, and not just mole rats. Moles, shrews, bears and other pests cannot stand ultrasound. The main thing is to choose the right devices in terms of power so that they protect the entire area.

DIY scare devices

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

To implement this method of struggle, you will need metal rods up to 1 meter long. To these rods, by any available means, cans of beer or condensed milk are attached. Under the influence of the force of the wind, they will make rather loud sounds that not only mole rats, but also neighbors may not like.

Niramin - Nov 25th, 2015

The common mole rat (Spalax microphtalmus) is a mammalian animal of the order of rodents that leads an underground lifestyle. It is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, mainly on pastures and unplowed lands, along forests.

Appearance

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

Lifestyle and habits

Lives underground, prefers a solitary lifestyle. Arranges several tiers of underground labyrinths connecting residential minks with utility cells and "latrines". With its nose, the mole rat pushes the earth to the surface when laying tunnels. In the spring it makes new moves, by the winter it clogs the summer surface minks and settles down to spend the winter in the central part of its “apartments”.

It feeds on plant rhizomes and their aerial parts. It remains active all year round and does not hibernate, however, it makes reserves for the winter, which 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 paves the way to the female, guided by the vibration of the soil and the sounds that 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 panting.

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

The common mole rat in the photographs below:

Photo: Common mole rat in a hole.

Video: Common mole rat

Mole rats (Spalacidae)- a small family of medium-sized rodents in terms of the number of species (the weight of the largest does not exceed 800-900 g). In the course of evolution, mole rats (Spalax) adapted themselves to an exclusively underground lifestyle in steppe and semi-desert spaces with fairly rich vegetation. Among the representatives of the life form of the “root-eating shrew”, mole rats are distinguished by the fact that their eyes have completely lost the ability to see. This is the only case of loss of vision in the order of rodents and the second among all mammals (another blind man is a marsupial mole living in Australia).

Mole rats dig long (up to 900 m), branched underground passages in several tiers up to 3-4 m deep. The upper galleries, where the animals live in the summer, serve to collect food (rhizomes, bulbs, tubers). In the lower tier there is a wintering chamber and pantries with plant parts carefully laid and sprinkled with earth. When digging, rodents use powerful incisors, acting like an excavator bucket. The earth is pushed out with a shovel-shaped head. The nose of mole rats is covered with keratinized skin that protects against mechanical damage. In addition, it is convenient to tamp the walls of holes with such a nose.

The incisors of mole rats, like those of all rodents, sharpen themselves when biting, but this is not enough for root beetles: they still sharpen their teeth one against the other. The structural features of the lower jaw and muscles allow mole rats to push the lower incisors apart and move them back and forth, moving the blade one against the other.

One animal, which lived for a long time in captivity, achieved true mastery in sharpening its teeth. His home was an ordinary aquarium, the metal frame of which the mole rat learned to use. He stood on his hind legs, rested his upper incisors against the edge of the metal rim, and literally gnawed at it with his lower incisors. For fine grinding of the sharp edge of the incisors, the mole rat used the glass walls of the aquarium. One can imagine what kind of “teeth grinding” accompanied this procedure every time!

The special "sophistication" of sharpening and grinding incisors in mole rats is due to the fact that it is with incisors that they dig their extended burrows. This leads to rapid wear of the cutting surfaces and, accordingly, to the need for rapid growth of the incisors themselves. In captivity, the mole rat is forced to erase its incisors on its own. If this is not done, then in a few days they will grow to such a size that the animal will not be able to close its mouth.

It is rare to see mole rats because of their secretive lifestyle. Many mistake them for moles (even in areas where moles do not live), deceived by the appearance of the characteristic cone-shaped soil emissions, resembling moles in shape.

In Russia, mole rats live in the forest-steppe and steppe from the border with Ukraine to the Volga - for example, the common mole rat (Spalax microphtalmus), and they are most numerous in the Kursk, Voronezh and Rostov regions. In Dagestan, the largest species of this family is found - the giant mole rat (S. giganteus). In the second half of the 20th century, as a result of the plowing of almost all lands favorable for mole rats, the number of these rodents decreased, and in a number of areas they completely disappeared.