Are you curious if moles have eyes or not?Moles are generally small, burrowing mammals. They have poor and weak eyesight and mostly rely on their sense of touch.Moles spend their lives alone, underground, foraging for food. They are scientifically known as Talpidae. These small mammals are insectivorous in nature, and they mainly prey on insect larvae, worms, millipedes, and other small invertebrates. They are ferocious worm predators. When they spot a worm in a tunnel, underground, or anywhere, moles quickly run towards it. They are short-sighted, with thin skin wrapping around their eyes. There are various species within the mole family, including eastern moles, European moles, star-nose moles, and many more. They have big claws that help them to dig tunnels or burrows. Sometimes, they can act as pests around people’s homes, as moles burrow and elevate molehills, destroying lawns. They can be raised as pets, but it is not encouraged since they cannot handle stress well.For more similar content, you can also learn some mole facts and whether octopuses have bones.Can moles see, or are they blind?Be it the eastern mole, long-tailed mole, or European mole, their eyes and ears are not visible, and it appears to us that they do not have functional eyes at all. They use sound, smell, vibration in order to communicate. Their velvety fur covers them, and a thin membrane shields their eyes and ears, which makes them appear blind. They have dark bodies, mostly black and brown, with powerful and short forelimbs.Moles are generally thought to be blind in nature. However, they have the ability to see, even though they have weak and poor vision and are colorblind. When in search of food or prey, mole-rats rely on their sense of smell and touch. They depend on their sharp and strong claws for the purpose of digging tunnels. When they dig tunnels, all of the dirt generally gets stocked up into molehills. They have the ability to dig up to 100 ft (30.48 m) in just one day. One interesting fact about moles is that they prepare many tunnels to use for an escape route when in danger. They have acquired fully developed retinas, including well-functioning cells, which also means that they are able to perceive light even though their eyes are shielded with thin skin and fur. Scientists believe that moles have working eyes, and they also have the capability to see bright light while their eyes remain shut.Where are a mole’s eyes?Sometimes, we mistake moles as being rodents, but they are not really linked or similar in any way. Rodents have sharp and large front teeth, while mole species have pointed, sharp teeth and pointed noses, which help them to survive and forage for food.Moles do have eyes hidden beneath their thin skin, which is mostly covered by soft and short, dark fur. They may seem blind since their eyes cannot be observed externally. They do not depend much on their poor eyesight for survival. Their senses of smell and touch are their most reliable characteristics. Sometimes, they accidentally end up on the surface, where they are at a great risk of being killed and eaten by predators like owls, badgers, foxes, snakes, and much more. Therefore, for these short-sighted animals, their burrows act as a safe place.What animals have no eyes?Eyes are essential physical characteristics that make many living beings complete. Even though most animals have eyes, which they greatly rely upon for their survival, there are several animals that don’t have eyes but survive with the help of their senses of touch and smell.Some animals that have no eyes include the star-nosed mole, eyeless shrimp, Mexican tetra, olm, golden mole, deep-sea lobster, cavefish, sea urchin, hydra, and so on. Most of them are aquatic animals, and the others are underground animals. Even though they may not have visible eyes, they are capable of surviving with the help of their other senses. However, they tend to be vulnerable to many ferocious predators.Are moles’ eyes poorly developed?Moles are underground animals that have long snouts, like pigs. Their nose and long claws make it easy to recognize them. While they may be considered blind, they are sensitive towards light. They are most active during the late evening and early morning.It is true that moles have poorly-developed eyes, but they are able to see and spot movement and light instantly. They are short-sighted and not completely blind, even though they rely mostly on their other senses. They use their noses to detect and find other moles and also for foraging for food and finding their way.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Do moles have eyes? The truth about burrowing mammals explained!’ then why not take a look at ‘Robert Wadlow height: 11 amazing facts on world’s tallest man revealed’ or ‘17 fascinating facts about people born in January that will shock you’?
Are you curious if moles have eyes or not?
