Moles may be a thorn in the side of lawn lovers, but many children and animal lovers are fond of the protected animal. Below you will find out how old a mole can get, what its life cycle looks like and why it rarely reaches its maximum age.
How old does a mole usually live?
A mole can live up to three years in nature, while biologically it could live up to five to six years. Factors such as lack of food, natural enemies, parasites and diseases influence the life expectancy of these animals.
The maximum age of moles
Connoisseurs argue about how old a mole can get: some say a maximum of three, others four, third sources even up to six years. In their natural environment, moles rarely live past the age of three, but purely biologically, a he althy mole could easily live to be five or six years old.
Why doesn't the mole get older?
In addition to the natural enemies that hunt the mole, there are other dangers that the mole is exposed to:
The diet of the mole
Moles can hardly store fat. Therefore, they have to eat at least half of their body weight during the day. If they don't, they will starve. For the same reason, moles do not hibernate, but instead build up a supply of live worms for the winter and dig for food in deeper layers of the earth.
Natural enemies of the mole
The mole's number one enemy is humans. Even though the animal is protected and hefty pen alties await anyone who dares to kill or hunt a mole, many moles fall victim to humans. This sometimes happens unintentionally, being run over on the road or run over by a lawnmower. Other enemies of the mole are primarily carnivorous birds such as the eagle owl, tawny owls, ravens, gray herons, buzzards and others. Parasites and diseases can also shorten the lifespan of the mole.
Life cycle of the mole
Moles' mating season is in February/March. Four weeks after fertilization, the mole mother gives birth to two to eight young, an average of three to four. These are initially blind and only open their eyes after about a week. They are breastfed for the first two months and leave the nest from the second month onwards. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of two.
