Shrew Moles Moles and Desmans: Talpidae - Physical Characteristics

Moles are small, short-legged, smooth-furred animals with tiny, sometimes hidden eyes, and long, nearly naked snouts. Many land-living moles have large, wide, shovel-like front feet adapted for digging through the soil. Some moles, including the desmans, are swimmers and have slender, webbed forefeet. Shrew moles, which live on land but dig little, if at all, have feet that are neither shovel-like nor webbed. Overall, adult moles range from about 2.4 to 17.0 inches (6 to 43 centimeters) in body length and another 0.6 to 8.3 inches (1.5 to 21.5 centimeters) in tail length. They weigh from 0.4 ounces (12 grams) in the smallest species to 7.8 ounces (220 grams) in the largest.