Editing European mole

{{Short description|Species of mammal}}
{{Multiple issues|
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{{Speciesbox
| name = European mole<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Hutterer | pages = 308}}</ref>
| fossil_range = Early [[Middle Pleistocene]] to recent {{fossilrange|0.8|0}}
| image = Talpa europaea MHNT.jpg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Amori, G. |author2=Hutterer, R. |author3=Mitsainas, G. |author4=Yigit, N. |author5=Kryštufek, B. |author6=Palomo, L. |date=2017 |title=''Talpa europaea'' |volume=2017 |page=e.T41481A22320754 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T41481A22320754.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Talpa
| species = europaea
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| range_map = Talpa europaea distribution map.svg
| range_map_caption = European mole range
}}
[[File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - ZMA.MAM.6665 pal - Talpa europaea Linnaeus - skull.jpeg|250px|thumbnail|Preserved skull (1964)]]
The '''European mole''' ('''''Talpa europaea''''') is a [[mammal]] of the order [[Eulipotyphla]]. It is also known as the '''common mole''' and the '''northern mole'''.<ref>[http://nomen.at/Talpa%20europaea ''Talpa europaea''], nomen.at</ref>

This [[Mole (animal)|mole]] lives in a tunnel system, which it constantly extends. It uses these tunnels to hunt its prey. Under normal conditions, the displaced earth is pushed to the surface, resulting in the characteristic [[molehill]]s. It is an [[omnivore]] that feeds mainly on [[earthworm]]s, but also on [[insect]]s, [[centipede]]s and mammals such as [[Rodent|rodents]] and other moles. Its saliva contains toxins which paralyze earthworms in particular.<ref name="Mukherjee">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7207958.stm|title=Searching for nature's tunnellers|last=Mukherjee|first=Sarah|date=25 January 2008|access-date=4 May 2010|newspaper=BBC News}}</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
The [[Aquitanian mole]] (''T. aquitania'') was formerly considered [[Biological specificity|conspecific]], but was described as a distinct species in 2017.

== Distribution ==
The European mole has a wide range throughout [[Europe]] and westernmost [[Asia]], being found as far north as the [[United Kingdom]] and southern [[Scandinavia]], as far south as northern [[Greece]], and as far east as western [[Siberia]]. It is the only mole species in most of this range. The [[Loire|Loire River]] in [[France]] was thought to form the western barrier to the species' range, separating it from the Aquitanian mole, but studies indicate that while this is largely true, it is not a strict barrier, as member of either species have been found on opposite sides of the river, likely making them [[Sympatry|sympatric]] in at least some places.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nicolas|first1=Violaine|last2=Hugot|first2=Jean-Pierre|last3=Cornette|first3=Raphaël|date=2021-09-21|title=New data on the distribution of the two mole species Talpa aquitania Nicolas, Matinez-Vargas & Hugot, 2017 and T. europaea Linnaeus, 1758 in France based on museum and newly collected specimens|url=https://bioone.org/journals/zoosystema/volume-43/issue-24/zoosystema2021v43a24/New-data-on-the-distribution-of-the-two-mole-species/10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a24.full|journal=Zoosystema|volume=43|issue=24|pages=585–617|doi=10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a24|issn=1280-9551|s2cid=238260731}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Taupe MHNT.OST.1997.45 - Skull.jpg|thumb|Skull of a European mole]]
The European mole has a cylindrical body and is {{convert|11|to|16|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long, weighing {{convert|70|to|130|g|oz|frac=4|abbr=on}}.<ref>[https://mammal.org.uk/british-mammals/mole Species fact sheet: Mole (''Talpa eureopaea''), The Mammal Society]</ref> Females are typically smaller than males. The eyes are small and hidden behind fur, while the ears are just small ridges in the skin. The fur is usually dark grey, but the actual range of colors is larger, as due to the subterranean habits there is no disadvantage in having off-colored fur. European moles with white, light grey, tan, taupe, and black fur have all been reported.<ref>{{cite book |title=Moles |publisher=Whittet Books |location=Essex |last1=Atkinson |first1=R. |year=2013 |quote=Moles are almost always dark grey or black, but occasionally cream, albino, apricot, rust, piebald, grey, silver-grey and yellow-and-grey animals have been recorded. |isbn=978-1873580868}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brustenga |first1=L. |year=2022 |title=First record for a partial Isabelline colouration in a European mole, ''Talpa europaea'', from Central Italy |journal=Mammalia |volume=86 |issue=3 |pages=243–246 |doi=10.1515/mammalia-2021-0116}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Life of the Mole |publisher=Museum Press |location=London |last1=Godfrey |first1=G. |last2=Crowcroft |first2=P. |year=1960 |quote=Most of these abnormal individuals are some shade of yellow, ranging from almost white, through cream and yellow, to bright apricot or rust. |asin=B0000CKQII}}</ref>

==Habitat==
While moles are typically found in tunnel systems, the European mole is not exclusively an underground dweller. In the spring and early summer when the young moles leave their mothers' burrows they must find new territories. This forces them to leave their burrows and they can either make new tunnel systems or enter existing systems. In the summer time, however, they are likely to [[burrow]] much more superficially. The superficial burrowing could be due in part to the [[soil]] that is much harder, which makes burrowing a greater challenge.<ref name=r1>{{cite journal|author=Mellanby, K. |title=Food and activity in the mole ''Talpa Europaea''|pmid=6061800|year=1967|volume=215|issue=5106|pages=1128–30|journal=Nature|doi=10.1038/2151128a0|bibcode=1967Natur.215.1128M|s2cid=45094066}}</ref>

''T. europaea'' have also been found to spend a lot of time at the sides of drainage lines and streams but do not inhabit flooded or dry soils. However, dry areas do become important when their normal habitats become flooded. Factors such as the type of soil, vegetation present, and altitude have no effect on the areas that moles choose to inhabit. The one factor that does greatly influence the mole population in a specific area is the abundance of earthworms.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Funmilayo, O. |title= Distribution and abundance of moles (''Talpa europaea'' L.) in relation to physical habitat and food supply|doi=10.1007/BF01833635|year=1977|journal=Oecologia|volume=30|issue=3|pages=277–283|pmid= 28309349|bibcode= 1977Oecol..30..277F|s2cid= 21284497}}</ref> In suitable urban greenspace, an area of 10 hectares is required for population persistence, and the number of mole territories increases with available habitat.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Fellowes|first1=Mark D. E.|last2=Acquaah-Harrison|first2=Kojo|last3=Angeoletto|first3=Fabio|last4=W. M.C. Santos|first4=Jeater|last5=da Silva Leandro|first5=Deleon|last6=Rocha|first6=Elise A.|last7=Pirie|first7=Tara J.|last8=Thomas|first8=Rebecca L.|date=2020|title=Map-A-Mole: Greenspace Area Influences the Presence and Abundance of the European Mole Talpa europaea in Urban Habitats|journal=Animals|language=en|volume=10|issue=6|pages=1097|doi=10.3390/ani10061097|pmid=32630423|pmc=7341262|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Reproduction==
The European mole has a relatively short [[breeding season]], in the spring.  Mating occurs over a span of a few weeks in March and April, followed by a [[gestation]] period of four to five weeks. Most births occur at the end of April or at the beginning of May.  The litter size ranges from two to seven. The [[lactation]] period lasts for four to five weeks but at the end of June, the young are usually required to leave the tunnels. The lifespan is from three to five years.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Haeck, J. |year=1969|title= Colonization of the mole (''Talpa Europaea'' L.) in the Ijsselmeer polders|journal=Netherlands Journal of Zoology|volume=19|pages=145–248|doi=10.1163/002829669X00107|issue=2}}</ref>

==Feeding habits==
One common belief about European moles is that they typically consume their own weight in food every 24 hours, but this is an exaggeration. Studies have been performed that show European moles eat about half of their body weight in food each day. When in captivity, European moles will eat a wide variety of food items, including liver, [[Mouse|mice]], [[mealworm]]s, [[shrew]]s and [[maggot]]s. However, they tend to prefer [[earthworm]]s over all other options.<ref name=r1/> In areas without as many earthworms, [[insect]]s are the main dietary constituent.<ref name=ADW>{{cite web |last1=Sondergaard |first1=E. |year=2006 |title=''Talpa europaea'' European Mole |website=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=October 14, 2022 |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Talpa_europaea/}}</ref> Moles eat both larval and adult insects.<ref name=ADW/>

==Vision==
Due to the subterranean nature of this mole, there is an anatomical regression of its eyes at several organizational levels. Its eye has a [[diameter]] of only {{Convert|1|mm|in|frac=32|abbr=on}}, it is buried beneath fur and has a cellular [[lens (optics)|lens]]. The organization of the [[retina]] is quite similar to that of a typical mammal. It has been determined that there are about 2000 [[retinal ganglion cell|ganglion cells]] and the [[optic nerve]] is roughly 50 μm with 3000 [[axons]]. Roughly 15% of these axons are myelinated. The [[photoreceptor cell|photoreceptors]] are not the normal [[rod cell|rod]]-like or [[cone]]-like shape that one would expect to see. Instead they all have one uniform shape with three distinct features: 
#The receptors are short along the radial axis
#The inner and outer segments are similar in length
#The outer segments appear to be significantly degenerated

Studies have shown that ''T. europaea'' does have [[photopic vision]], contrary to popular belief that all moles are blind. Two cone [[opsins]] have been found in the eyes of ''T. europaea'' but their function is still under investigation. In a study of the mole eyes it was found that ''Talpa'' withdraws when exposed to a flashlight and it can also perform light/dark discrimination tasks. The [[cone cells]] in the eye are unlikely to provide high-resolution vision but they could allow a detection of movement and some [[hue]] discrimination. It is suggested that in subterranean mammals vision is used to detect predators that have broken into the tunnels.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Glosmann, M. |author2=Steiner, M. |author3=Peichl, M. |author4=Ahnelt, P.K. |pmid=18484862|year=2008|title=Cone photoreceptors and potential UV vision in a subterranean insectivore, the European mole|volume=8|issue=4|pages=23.1–12|doi=10.1167/8.4.23|journal=Journal of Vision|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Hearing==
In mammals, the cues for directional hearing are usually based on inter-aural intensity differences, which occur as a result of the diffraction of a progressive [[sound wave]] by the head and pinna. They could also be based on inter-aural time differences that are present because of the distance between their two ears. European moles have no [[Pinna (anatomy)|pinnae]], so they are thought to hear at low frequencies. In addition to this, their inner ear is unusual for that of a mammal, due to the large trabeculation of the posterior [[ventral]] [[skull]] between the ears. The [[Eardrum|tympana]] of the ear lies almost horizontally and the manubrial tips are separated by a distance of {{convert|8|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on}}. The results of several studies confirm that there is good transmission through the European mole's head for a range of low [[frequencies]]. Because of this it is expected that there will be acoustic interaction at each [[tympanic membrane]]. There are also suggestions that the ears of this mole act as balanced pressure-difference receivers. This system has never been suggested for a [[mammal]] in the past, but [[reptiles]], [[amphibia]], [[birds]], and [[crickets]] have been shown to have a direct air pathway between the tympana.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Coles, R.B. |author2=Gower, D.M. |author3=Boyd, P.J. |author4= Lewis, D.B. |name-list-style=amp |title= Acoustic transmission through the head of the common mole, ''Talpa europaea''|pmid=7166696|year=1982|volume=101|pages=337–41|journal=The Journal of Experimental Biology|issue=1 |doi=10.1242/jeb.101.1.337 |doi-access=free|bibcode=1982JExpB.101..337C }}</ref>

==Skeletal development==
In ''Talpa europaea'', there are several unique changes in ossification sequence in the [[postcranial]] elements. Many of the shifts are seen in the [[vertebral column]], specifically the [[Neck|cervical]] and [[thoracic]] regions. The shifts allow the moles to have a more stabilized body axis and cervical region after they are born.

After a European mole is born and begins to develop, it will begin to crawl around and dig. As a result of the constant digging action, elements of the forelimb that are associated with those movements will begin to ossify. Some elements in the hands of ''Talpa europaea'', formally described as distal [[phalanges]], are actually the first to ossify. These elements build up a groove for the distal phalanges, but ultimately do not fuse with them. These bony elements develop directly, meaning they do not have any [[cartilaginous]] precursors. The extra-calcified elements are created from small, calcified particles that are found in the [[fibrous]] part of the [[flexor digitorum profundus]]. The particles then fuse later in life to form the solid element of the hand. Additionally, the sesamoid bone in the European mole ''sensu stricto'' is a bone that develops within a [[tendon]]. It does have a chondrified precursor and it assists the tendon in transmitting force.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Prochel, J. |title= Early skeletal development in ''Talpa europaea'', the common European mole|pmid=16766861|year=2006|volume=23|issue=5|pages=427–34|journal=Zoological Science|doi=10.2108/zsj.23.427|s2cid= 28816066}}</ref>

==Dentition==
The variance of [[morphology (biology)|morphology]] between species is very important to [[paleontologists]], as it can help define a [[fossil]] species. Unlike other characteristics that do not fossilize, like color and [[karyotype]], [[dentition]] can be studied, as it fossilizes well and varies from species to species. Studying dentition can be very beneficial in recognizing the differences between fossils and subsequently being able to classify them.

The Roman mole (''[[Talpa romana]]'') was once considered a subspecies of the European mole, as they are of similar size. The only obvious difference between the two is that ''T. romana'' has skin-covered eyes and it also has a caecoid pelvis, whereas ''T. europaea'' has a europoid pelvis. Although similar in body, the dentition of ''T. romana'' is obviously larger in size than that ''T. europaea''. Both the length of the tooth row and the individual elements are larger. Moreover, the mesotyle of the upper [[molars]] is generally divided. The dentition of ''T. europaea'' is small and the length of M1-M3 is less than 19% of the length of the condyle base. This mole also has relatively small molars for its size.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Cleef-Roders, J.T. |author2=van den Hoek Ostende, L.W. |year=2001|title= Dental morphology of ''Talpa europaea'' and ''Talpa occidentalis'' (Mammalia: Insectivora) with a discussion of fossil ''Talpa'' in the Pleistocene of Europe|journal=Zoologische Mededelingen |volume= 75|pages=51–68|url=https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/08703/35A1FAF0D588F4F645A764D1C757D3F615F235B0.html}}</ref>

<gallery>
Taupinières - Mole-hills.jpg|Molehills
Talpa europaea MHNT Tete.jpg|Portrait
Taupe MHNT.OST.1997.45.jpg|Skeleton
Albinos (Taupe d'Europe).jpg|An [[Albinism in biology|albino]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Nova virus]] which was first isolated in European moles

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Eulipotyphla|T.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q209067}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Talpa]]
[[Category:Mammals of Europe]]
[[Category:Mammals of Turkey]]
[[Category:Mammals of Russia]]
[[Category:Venomous mammals]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]