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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing marsupial moles. The name "mole" may be a bit misleading for these two species as they're not truly moles. They're not even related to moles, however, they act a lot like them. As marsupials, these mammals are separated from all other placental mammals, so it's a case of convergent evolution that they look and behave so similarly to true moles. Marsupials give birth to premature young that finish their development in a mother's external pouch, and the marsupial moles are no exception to this! There are two described species of these strange creatures and they're some of the only known marsupials that live a fossorial lifestyle.

Fossorial means underground, think along the lines of fossils which come up from the rock and dirt. This is where marsupial moles live. Unlike placental moles, however, marsupial moles don't make large elaborate tunnel systems. These pouched mammals instead spend most of their time digging close to the ground's surface. In fact, the way they move is often described as "swimming" underground! Marsupial moles have vestigial eyes under a layer of skin, external ear holes covered in fur, slitted nostrils with a hard head shield, and long claws for scooping up dirt. Like wombats, marsupial mole pouches face backwards, towards their rear end so as they swim through the dirt their pouch stays clear of debris!

As with many living marsupial species, these two are natives of Australia. They live in the deserts and scrublands of central and north western parts of the continent. Marsupial moles are rarely observed and there's very little known about them overall. While they have been observed in captivity for short periods of time, no one knows how to properly keep them healthy under human care, so they perish within a month or two of capture. What's more, their fossorial nature makes them difficult to study in the wild. With help from the watchful eyes of Australian aboriginals, scientists have been able to compile some information about these amazing animals.

Marsupial moles are quite small, only about the size of a large mouse or small rat. From head to bum they max out at about 6 inches (15 cm) long, and many are even shorter than this! They have a leather tail with a hard knob on the end and silky, golden fur. In fact, they're described as looking very similar to golden moles! A marsupial mole's fur can become stained red due to iron in the sand they inhabit. They prefer dry places with sparse vegetation, a perfect place to dig up grubs– literally! Marsupial moles eat insects, and more specifically insect larvae. They have a strong sense of smell for finding insect nests below the surface and a long, sticky tongue for lapping up the larvae inside. Ant and beetle larvae feature heavily in their diet! Captive individuals have been seen eating centipedes and geckos, but it's not known if this behavior is commonplace in the wild.

According to aboriginal observations, marsupial moles are decreasing in population. Both species are impacted by habitat loss as well as predation from invasive predators such as foxes and cats. Dingoes likely also eat these small mammals. Staying underground for most of their lives probably helps keep them safe, and, while they spend most of their time at the surface, they are known to dig more than six feet (2 m) underground. It's currently believed that female marsupial mole's do just this when they're preparing to give birth.

Based on a few captured females who had babies, these mammals are believed to give birth in the late spring or early summer. No one knows how mates find each other, although their strong sense of smell may help with this. Mother marsupial moles have only two nipples in their pouch and all the collected mothers had only one or two babies at a time. It's unknown how long they live, how long it takes them to mature, or even if they live alone or in social groups! There's still lots to learn!

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