Which habitats are used by moles?

Moles inhabit a wide variety of environments, though their specific habitats depend on the type of mole:

• True Moles (Family Talpidae): These insectivores are found in temperate regions across the Northern Hemisphere, ranging from sea level to 4,500 metres in elevation. They occupy diverse environments including moist lowland and alpine meadows, river floodplains, prairies, sagebrush-grass habitats, coniferous and deciduous forests, coastal sand dunes, cultivated fields, gardens, marshy areas, streams, lakes, and rivers.1
• Golden Moles (Order Chrysochloridea): Native to sub-Saharan Africa, these animals prefer loamy or sandy soils and avoid compacted clay. They inhabit forests, savannas, grasslands, rocky hillsides, sandy riverbeds, and sand dunes, ranging from coastal lowlands to elevations of 3,300 metres.2
• Marsupial Moles (Genus Notoryctes): These are found exclusively in the hot, sandy wastes of south-central and northwestern Australia.3

While many species are specialized for underground life, some, such as the star-nosed mole and various desmans, are also expert swimmers and foragers in aquatic habitats.1