WINSTON WEEKLY

November 1, 2026

Vol. 4, No. 44

ON THE MOVE[1]

With a lifespan of three to six years, moles are members of the Talpidae family, related to shrews and hedgehogs. Like pigs, males are called boars, and females are called sows. There are more than forty species of moles, from the large Russian desman that is semi-aquatic to the American shew mole weighing less than a penny. Britain is home to nearly forty million moles. The rare marsupial mole in Western Australia deserts carries its babies in a pouch like kangaroos and koalas.

Most moles live solitary lives, crossing paths only during mating season, although the coast mole lives in colonies. Female moles may birth up to five babies, most of whom are weaned at four to five weeks.

A mole’s sense of smell and touch makes up for their poor eyesight. With snouts filled with sensitive hairs called Eimer’s organs, they can detect vibrations and other environmental changes. Often on the move at night, their shovel-like paws work through the dirt with a breaststroke motion. Able to survive underground with little oxygen due to large quantities of red blood cells, they can move multiple times their body weight, digging tunnels fifteen feet long in less than an hour.

Although often referred to as pests, moles aerate the soil and consume invertebrates that damage plants. They paralyze worms with their saliva, keeping them fresh for later consumption, sometimes eating 50 to 100 worms a day.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Write down ten idiomatic expressions aside from “Making a mountain out of a molehill.” If you need help, retired educator and award-winning author Dorenda Doyle has a series of books on idioms and figurative phrases, including The Kid with the Ear-Splitting Scream published in 2023.

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[1] Winston Weekly is a weekly blog and newsletter by Alysen Bayles of Bayles Connect: “Learn, live, love, read.” Resources: www.natureinstitute.org; Happy Beaks, 6 Fun Facts About Moles, June 10, 2020; Rachel Poliquin, Moles: The Superpower Field Guide, Clarion Books, 2019; Belinda Atkinson and Rob Atkinson, Moles, The Natural History Collection, Whittet Books.