*2.2.4 Moles*

Moles are small mammals of the family Talpidae in the order Eulipotyphla, and have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small inconspicuous eyes and ears, reduced hind limbs, and short powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging (**Figure 19**). Moles have polydactyl forepaws each has an extra thumb (also known as a prepollex) next to the regular thumb. Moles are known pests to human activities such as agriculture, lawn and gardening through damage to young plants by disturbance of the soil. They can undermine plant roots, indirectly causing damage or death, but do not eat plant roots. Moles on occasion are accused of inflicting damage to strawberry roots, although they are insectivores, do not classified as rodents and not eat plants. However, they can disturb the roots by burrowing tunnels below the plant. Additionally, plant-feeding rodents, for instance, voles usage old mole burrows to acquire plant roots without digging of new tunnels. Moles have short tails and pointy small snouts, and their back and front limbs are short with a spade like outline. Their anterior feet are bigger than the posterior and have lengthy claws prepared for burrowing through soil [35].

Moles are managed through traps such as mole-catchers, smoke bombs and poisons such as calcium carbide, which produces acetylene gas to drive moles away. The most common method now is Phostoxin or Talunex tablets that contain aluminum phosphide and are inserted in the mole tunnels, where they turn into phosphine gas [36].

**Figure 19.** *Mole.*
