September 22 – Moles
Moles are made for life underground. They are one of the most efficient excavating mammals on the planet – spending their entire lives digging underground tunnels. Tunnels near the surface are used for searching for earthworms, grubs and insects while deeper tunnels (10 feet deep) are used for living areas. Moles have voracious appetites and eat an equivalent of their body weight each day.
These animals are perfectly designed for digging with the following characteristics:
- Compact bodies
- Large front paws with broad,sharp, hard claws that face backwards, so they can dig with breast-stroke style motion
- Short, stubby tail that can be used as a lever
- Cone-shaped muzzle for probing insects in the dirt
- An ultra-sensitive nose to help find insects
- Velvety, thick fur that stands straight up, allowing the fur to move in any direction without rubbing the wrong way and trapping dirt within the velvety coat
- Small eyes that can be covered with thin skin while digging
- External ears are ridges in the skin covered with fur, preventing dirt from entering the ears
- Nostrils that open sideways, not forward, so dirt doesn’t plug them
God created the mole with all these features so that it could be a successful tunnel digger.
Habakkuk 3:3b
KJV: and the earth was full of his praise.
NIV: and his praise filled the earth.