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| CANADA'S SOURCE FOR HUMOUR, PARODY, AND SATIRE
INUKSHUK-- Digging through the frozen soil, the Tundra Mole, a small, sight-challenged rodent perseveres, slowly burrowing its way through the arctic wasteland. Although it may only dislodge a few inches of frozen dirt today, it's in the Tundra Mole's nature to dig--quietly penetrating the frozen earth. Despite the challenges Mother Nature lobs at him, the Tundra Mole trudges on.
The Tundra Mole, a lonely insectivore, labours beneath the petrified soil, blowing relatively warm air through its drill-shaped nose to thaw the icy and rock-hard permafrost that makes up most of the ground in the far north. Its iron-like claws tenaciously scratch through the hardly-softened dirt, about as effectively as an inmate digging out of prison with a plastic spoon. Despite its slow progress, the Tundra Mole manages to burrow deep permanent tunnels over the course of its lifetime. Although its frosty subterranean domain may be rugged, the surface is even less hospitable. The mole's underground pockets trap-in warmth through the same inexplicable process as the mysterious igloo. The Tundra Mole has several adaptations for the colder climate that give it an advantage over its warmer cousins, such as the Star-nosed Mole, the American Shrew Mole or the Iberian Desman, not to mention the Common Mole Rat. Most moles dig temporary tunnels close to the surface for traveling. However, the tunnels dug by the Tundra Mole are permanent. There is little threat of collapse or flooding from a ground that is perpetually frozen. Over several centuries a vast warren of tunnels have been dug under much of Baffin Island and vast areas of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Larger than other freezing and frigid frostbitten fossorial (burrowing or digging) mammals, the Tundra Mole uses little-used tunnels to store food. Since it eats only frozen food, and in the Arctic there is no other kind, there isn't any chance of spoilage. Predators are few and far between. The Tundra Mole is rarely above ground, but even so, it's usually too friggin' cold to be out hunting. Arctic foxes, polar bears, and boreal rattlesnakes rarely bother as months can pass before the mole will poke its nose on the brutal winter surface. The
Arctic can be a cruel landlord, but the Tundra Mole braves on, enduring
the harsh conditions with tenacity and stubborn courage.
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| This fictional story about satire is intended for adults. | The World Leader in Canadian humour, humor, parody, and satire. | |
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