Foxes do eat moles, but the dynamic is complex. Foxes are highly opportunistic predators whose diet shifts based on season, habitat, and prey availability. As generalists, they incorporate a wide variety of food sources, including small mammals like moles. Moles are typically acquired when a fox is already focused on hunting other subterranean rodents. This adaptability allows the red fox, the most common species, to thrive in diverse environments, from rural farmland to urban fringes.
Moles in the Fox Diet
Moles are generally considered a secondary or incidental food source in the overall diet of a fox. This is largely due to the high energetic cost required to successfully catch a mole compared to the relatively low caloric reward they offer. A fox must accurately locate the mole’s tunnel system and then expend significant energy digging through compacted soil to reach the prey.
Scientific analysis of fox scat and stomach contents shows that while moles are captured, they are often not fully consumed. The common European mole, Talpa europaea, possesses scent glands that excrete a strong, musky-smelling secretion, which many predators find unpalatable. This defensive mechanism means a fox may catch a mole while hunting for more desirable prey, only to discard it after the initial capture and taste.
In ecological studies, insectivores like moles and shrews are consumed more frequently when a fox’s preferred foods, such as voles and rabbits, become scarce. The cost-benefit analysis usually favors easier-to-catch, more palatable, and higher-calorie prey. Moles are therefore more likely to be an unintentional victim of a fox’s hunting strategy for other small rodents.
How Foxes Hunt Underground Prey
Foxes use acute hearing to locate and acquire prey moving beneath the soil or snow. Their hunting strategy relies on pinpointing the exact location of small mammals moving in their subterranean tunnels. A fox can detect the rustling and squeaking of a rodent from a distance of over 100 feet.
The most distinctive hunting behavior for concealed prey is the “mouse pounce,” which involves a high, vertical leap followed by a downward strike. The fox jumps into the air, sometimes as high as six feet, and then descends rapidly, driving its front paws with force into the ground to break through the soil or snow crust. This action stuns or pins the prey underneath the surface, allowing the fox to quickly excavate and retrieve it.
While this pounce is highly effective for shallow-dwelling rodents like voles, the deeper tunnels of moles require a slightly different approach. Moles are typically located by sound, but the fox often must dig them out manually, rather than relying solely on the pounce to collapse the deeper tunnel structure. Digging confirms the mole’s presence and is often a sign that the fox is targeting a noise detected in a fresh mole hill or run.
The Broader Fox Menu
The fox is classified as an omnivore, meaning its diet consists of both plant and animal matter. This generalist nature allows them to be highly successful across various landscapes. Small mammals, particularly mice, voles, and rabbits, form the bulk of a typical rural fox’s diet, providing a consistent source of protein and fat. These prey items are actively hunted and represent the most energetically efficient meals.
Beyond small rodents, the fox menu expands to include a wide range of invertebrates, such as earthworms, beetles, and cranefly larvae, especially during the warmer months when they are abundant. Plant materials are also consumed seasonally, with berries, fruits, and seeds becoming a significant component of the diet in late summer and autumn. This seasonal consumption of plant matter aids in seed dispersal across the fox’s territory.
As scavengers, foxes readily consume carrion, including roadkill and animal remains left by other predators, which reduces the energy expenditure associated with hunting. Urban foxes have further adapted their menu to include human-related food waste, which can sometimes represent a substantial portion of their caloric intake. This highly varied diet ensures the fox can maintain its energy requirements regardless of the immediate availability of any single food source.