Post #3623267
2026-07-06 08:36 UTC
Did you know that the European mole (Talpa europaea) has a toxin in its saliva which paralyses earthworms, their favourite food? This means that the moles can then store the paralysed earthworms in special 'larder' chambers within their burrows, where they are kept alive and fresh until later consumption. These larders have been reported to contain many hundreds of earthworms at a time!
When it's time to visit their larder for a snack, these moles have a clever trick to make sure they don't consume all the unpleasant soil stuck inside the paralysed earthworm's guts... by rolling the earthworm between their front paws, they forceably squeeze the soil out of the worm, making their meal much less gritty!
#SoilBiodiversity #SoilEcology #TheWorldBeneathOurFeet #MacroFauna #Nature #MacroPhotography #NaturePhotography
Replies (4)
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@LappenjammerDieZweite@social.vivaldi.net 2026-07-06 08:42
@frankashwood@flipping.rocks This is fascinating and also stuff for nightmares (from the worms' perspective).
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@f@kolektiva.social 2026-07-06 08:45
@frankashwood@flipping.rocks inhuman torture practices! So uncivilized! The animal kingdom is a brutal place! ~CEO of your next-door slaughter house
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@JonasJRichter@mastodon.pnpde.social 2026-07-06 08:54
@frankashwood@flipping.rocks While fascinating, it's also solid horror material. 😅
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@edgeofeurope@mastodon.social 2026-07-06 08:57
@frankashwood@flipping.rocks TMI!