Reproduction
From June to January the mole is sexually inactive and has only one, relatively short breeding season that occurs in the spring. Mating occurs over a span of a few weeks in March and April, followed by a gestation period of 4-5 weeks. Most births will occur at the end of April or at the beginning of May. The litter size ranges from 2-7. There is a lactation period that follows, where the young remains at the mother’s nest for 4-5 weeks but normally at the end of June the young are required to leave the tunnels.
Read more about this topic: European Mole
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