Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)

The Definitive Guide to Mole Control and Where to Find a
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Identification

There are seven North American species of moles. They are the Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus), Hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri), Star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata), Broad-footed mole (Scapanus latimanus), Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii), Coast mole (Scapanus orarius) and Shrew mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii).

Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)

The mole you will find in your yard is most likely the Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus). It is an insectivore, not a rodent, and is related to shrews and bats.

Hairy-Tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri)

The Hairy-tailed Mole (Parascalops breweri), also know as "Brewers Mole" occur in a variety of habitats, including temperate forests, open fields, cultivated fields, and along roadsides. As in other moles, the fur of the Hairy-tailed Mole is short, very dense, soft, and silky, a good coat for traveling in underground tunnels. Its eyes are very small, and it does not have external ears. The claws on its front feet are admirably adapted for digging, being broad, flat, and heavy. Hairy-tailed Moles prefer loose soils, such as sandy loam, in areas with sufficient moisture and ground cover, which probably limits their distribution. The sense of touch is important to this animal. It probably uses the whiskers on its snout, stiff hairs on top of its head, and a dense fringe of whisker-like hairs that edge the palms of its forefeet, as aids to navigating and finding earthworms and insects to eat.

Star-Nosed Mole (Condylura cristata)

The Star-nosed Mole (Condylura cristata) is a small North American mole found in eastern Canada and the north-eastern United States. The star-nosed mole lives in wet lowland areas and eats small invertebrates, aquatic insects, worms and mollusks. It is a good swimmer and can forage along the bottoms of streams and ponds. Like other moles, this animal digs shallow surface tunnels for foraging; often, these tunnels exit underwater. It is active day and night and remains active in winter, when it has been observed tunneling through the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams.

Broad-Footed Mole (Scapanus latimanus)

The Broad-footed Mole (Scapanus latimanus) is a species of mammal in the Talpidae family. It is found in Mexico and the United States. Broad-footed Moles' forefeet are almost as wide as they are long, and their fur is nearly uniformly black. They seem to prefer moist soils, but will inhabit dry areas with large boulders. They breed in January or February, and litters of 2—5 young are born in March or April in a nest chamber in a deep tunnel. Broad-footed Moles consume earthworms, but eat other invertebrates if earthworms are unavailable.

Townsend's Mole (Scapanus townsendiiare)

Townsend's moles (Scapanus townsendiiare) the largest and heaviest North American talpids. Armed with robust claws, they are accomplished burrowers that primarily construct extensive, shallow tunnel systems. Named for John Townsend, who first described them, this is one of eight North American mammals whose scientific name honors the 19th-century naturalist. It eats earthworms but also snails, slugs, centipedes, insects, and vegetation.

Coast Mole (Scapanus orarius)

Coast Moles (Scapanus orarius) Also known as: Pacific Mole, Red-footed Mole are difficult to distinguish from Townsend's Moles where their ranges overlap in the Pacific Northwest. Both have velvety, dark-gray fur and tiny eyes and ears that are hidden under their fur. Townsend's Moles have considerably more fur on their tails, and the two species' teeth differ, but usually only a mammalogist can distinguish them with certainty.

Coast Moles spend most of their lives underground, using their tunnels for foraging, moving to a new location, and for finding mates. They are active year-round, but do most of their digging in the fall and winter, when soils are moister. When they are digging deep tunnels, they bring soil to the surface and pile it up in mounds (also known as molehills). A single coast mole may make 200—400 molehills from October to March. When the moles choose the wrong location, such as a lawn, humans destroy them. Dogs and cats frequently catch and kill them, but seldom eat them.

Shrew Mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii)

American Shrew-Mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii) are not as well adapted for digging as other moles, American Shrew-moles prefer habitats where the digging is easy, and where there is leaf litter or vegetation to provide cover. They usually eat earthworms, though they may take a variety of other invertebrates. They lack external ears and have very small eyes, both adaptations for burrowing. Their forepaws are slightly broad, for digging, but unlike moles in the genus Scapanus, whose very broad forepaws are oriented sideways (as though they were going to swim the breaststroke), Shrew-moles can place their front feet flat on the ground. This makes them more agile when moving about or even climbing than moles who spend all of their lives underground.

True moles may be distinguished from meadow mice (voles), shrews, or pocket gophers—with which they are often confused—by noting certain characteristics. They have a hairless, pointed snout extending nearly 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) in front of the mouth opening. The small eyes and the opening of the ear canal are concealed in the fur; there are no external ears. The forefeet are very large and broad, with palms wider than they are long. The toes are webbed to the base of the claws, which are broad and depressed. The hind feet are small and narrow, with slender, sharp claws.

Range

Out of the seven species that occur in North America, three inhabit lands east of the Rocky Mountains. The Eastern mole is the most common and its range is shown in the map below. The Star-nosed mole is most common in northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, sharing much of the same range as the Hairy-tailed mole. The remaining four species are found west of the Rocky Mountains. The Townsend mole and the Coast mole are distributed in the extreme northwest corner of the United States and southwest Canada. The Broad-footed mole is found in southern Oregon and throughout the coastal region of California, excluding the Baja peninsula. Finally, the Shrew mole is also found along the West Coast from Santa Cruz County, California, to southern British Columbia.

Damage Caused by Moles

Moles frequently cause damage but are also beneficial since they feed on insects, worms and other invertebrates. They help aerate the soil by burrowing. Occasionally, they eat plant seeds, roots and bulbs but most damage is done when burrows expose plant roots to the air inside the tunnels.

They are most active in spring or fall and on cloudy days. During winter and midsummer, they burrow deeper into the ground. Moles have very extensive underground systems including travel tunnels which are used daily and foraging tunnels which are rarely re-used.

Mole Tunnel

Mole feeding ridge

Control Methods

Contrary to popular belief, the best way to control moles is to trap them. There are many different methods that can be used. Click here to find other methods of Mole Control.

For best results contact a Wildlife Control Professional. For more information on Control methods and equipment, click here.