What is the maximal age a European mole reaches?
An adult European mole (Talpa europaea) usually gets as old as 7 years.
European moles are around 30 days in the womb of their mother. When born, they weight 3 grams (0.01 lbs) and measure 3.4 cm (0′ 2″). As a member of the Talpidae family (genus: Talpa), a European mole caries out around 3 little ones per pregnancy, which happens around 1 times a year. Fully grown, they reach a bodylength of 12.9 cm (0′ 6″).
As a reference: Usually, humans get as old as 100 years, with the average being around 75 years. After being carried in the belly of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks), they grow to an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) and weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual.
The European mole (Talpa europaea) is a mammal of the order Eulipotyphla. It is also known as the common mole and the northern mole.This 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 molehills. It feeds mainly on earthworms, but also on insects, centipedes and even mice and shrews. Its saliva contains toxins which paralyze earthworms in particular.
Animals of the same family as a European mole
Not really brothers and sisters, but from the same biological family (Talpidae):
- Roman mole bringing the scale to 92 grams
- Gansu mole getting as big as 8.9 cm (0′ 4″)
- Japanese mountain mole becoming 3 years old
- Broad-footed mole becoming 3 years old
- Sado mole with 3 babies per pregnancy
- Japanese shrew mole becoming 3.5 years old
- American shrew mole with 2 babies per pregnancy
- Small Japanese mole becoming 3.5 years old
- Père David’s mole with 3 babies per pregnancy
- Echigo mole bringing the scale to 163 grams
Animals that reach the same age as European mole
With an average age of 7 years, European mole are in good companionship of the following animals:
- Rakali usually reaching 6.17 years
- Lesser short-nosed fruit bat usually reaching 8 years
- Tropical pocket gopher usually reaching 7 years
- North African hedgehog usually reaching 7 years
- Gray dorcopsis usually reaching 8 years
- Coruro usually reaching 6 years
- Plains pocket gopher usually reaching 7.17 years
- House mouse usually reaching 6 years
- Moonrat usually reaching 7 years
- Kowari usually reaching 7 years
Animals with the same number of babies European mole
The same number of babies at once (3) are born by:
- Oldfield mouse
- Temminck’s mouse
- Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat
- Asian house shrew
- Desert warthog
- Brandt’s hedgehog
- Hartwig’s soft-furred mouse
- Brush rabbit
- Canyon mouse
- Bicolored musk shrew
Weighting as much as European mole
A fully grown European mole reaches around 86 grams (0.19 lbs). So do these animals:
- Oecomys flavicans with 73 grams
- Eastern chestnut mouse with 79 grams
- Buller’s chipmunk with 100 grams
- Common rufous-nosed rat with 89 grams
- Short-tailed hopping mouse with 89 grams
- Buff-bellied climbing mouse with 89 grams
- Northern red-sided opossum with 79 grams
- Kobe mole with 95 grams
- Biak glider with 90 grams
- Pink fairy armadillo with 86 grams
Animals as big as a European mole
Those animals grow as big as a European mole:
- African wading rat with 12.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Fly River water rat with 14.6 cm (0′ 6″)
- Greater spear-nosed bat with 10.7 cm (0′ 5″)
- Pyrenean desman with 12.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Greater tree mouse with 14.4 cm (0′ 6″)
- Chestnut tree mouse with 11.5 cm (0′ 5″)
- Western rock elephant shrew with 12.2 cm (0′ 5″)
- Dian’s tarsier with 11.7 cm (0′ 5″)
- California mouse with 11.6 cm (0′ 5″)
- Texas antelope squirrel with 15.2 cm (0′ 6″)