Habitat: Found where there are suitable soils. Loamy and moist sandy soils are preferred. Rocky or very loose sandy soils are avoided.
Habits: Generally solitary except during breeding season. Burrows near the surface are used for foraging; deeper burrows are used for protection and nesting. The diet includes earthworms, beetles, insects, and vegetation. Although moles sometimes are considered pests, they are beneficial as predators on many insect pests, in aerating the soil, and in reducing surface erosion by allowing water to drain into the ground. Moles breed in late winter or early spring; two to five young are born after a gestation of about 45 days.
|
