Moles are insectivores, not rodents, and are related to shrews.
Spring floods are probably the greatest danger facing adult moles and their young.
Moles have only a few predators because of their secluded life underground and may live for three to four years. Moles live in the seclusion of underground burrows, coming to the surface only rarely, and then often by accident. Three to five young are born in March or early April. The gestation period of moles is approximately 42 days. Moles are solitary animals that come together only to breed. This adaptation allows moles to travel both forward and backward through the soil. Mole fur is short, soft, velvety, and when brushed offers no resistance in either direction. The hind feet are small and narrow with slender, sharp claws. The paddle-like forefeet are very large and broad with pronounced claws for digging. Their small eyes and the openings of the ears are concealed in the fur, and there are no external ears. Moles are specialized for life underground. All Pennsylvania moles have a hairless, pointed snout extending nearly ½ inch in front of the mouth and are approximately 5 to 7 inches in body length. Three species of moles occur in Pennsylvania the eastern mole, the hairy-tailed mole, and the star-nosed mole.
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