Susan Karmazenuk, age 13, of St. Lazare,Quebec, Canada, for her question:

Can moles see during the daytime?

Moles are mysterious dwellers down in the dirt. We seldom see them, which may be why we invent all sorts of strange rumors about them. Some people say that moles are blind, others that they cannot see in dazzling daylight. Some even insist that moles have no eyes. In the past few years, researchers have investigated these secretive animals more fully. Some of the rumors proved to be false, some partly true. But the answer to today's question still is in a state of confusion.

Moles inhabit temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where dozens of different species live secretive lives in the loose soil. No two species are exactly alike, though all of them have very poor vision. After all, their underground tunnels are darker than the darkest midnight, where even the keenest eyes w6uld.be useless. What's more, if a mole had big bright eyes, they would collect crumbs of dirt.

Actually, the eyes of the average mole are no bigger than pinheads. They are hidden in his furry face and people who insist that he has no eyes at all simply fail to find them. Most moles are able to see, though not very distinctly. In some species, the eyes are covered with skin and these fellows are definitely blind.

Until recently, most naturalists assumed that the average mole rarely if ever pokes his nose above the surface. It was thought that the male or female emerged only to gather soft vegetation to line the nursery nest.

After more careful research, we now know that the average mole pays more frequent visits to the surface. Sometimes he merely stretches himself in the sun. Sometimes he ventures on a short journey and strange to say, he seems to know just where he wants to go. Often he makes for a stream and swims around in search of grubs.

We cannot be sure whether he prefers to make these surface excursions at night or during the day. Unlike most animals, his lifestyle is out of harmony with the earth's night and day periods. The nervous little digger has a high metabolism that demands twice his weight in food every 24 hours.

For this reason, his underground life style requires five or six hours of frantic digging for grubs and worms, followed by a rest period of about four hours. He wakes up famished and would soon perish if he did not start grubbing for more food immediately. Hence, his built in work and rest periods have nothing to do with day and night.

At present, we cannot be sure whether he sees a little better at night. However, even in the bright light of day, the average mole can see well enough to go where he wants to go.

Baby moles tend to surface more often and for them the risk is much greater. The nest may be a loose mound of dirt and the month old babes tend to scramble outdoors. Barely able to see, they are at the mercy of numerous birds of prey and four legged predators.