Scalopus aquaticus
The Wildlife Services Image Collection
Scalopus aquaticus
The Wildlife Services Image Collection
Eastern Moles are small
mammals
which are rarely seen. They are most active at dawn and dusk
(crepuscular
times), when it is difficult to see them; but that doesn't
matter, because they spend almost all of their time
underground. Eastern Moles have short
grayish-brown fur with large front feet. The toes on their
feet are slightly webbed. They have a short, naked tail and
a long, nake snout. You will not see eyes or ears on this
animal. They do have very small eyes which are covered by
skin and fur. Moles have poor eyesight and probably only are
able to detect light with their eyes. Eastern Moles can grow
over eight inches long. Eastern Moles live in
woods, fields,
lawns, and gardens. They make
burrows
and tunnels to get around underground. The mole uses its
strong front legs to push soil under its body. Then it uses
its back legs to push the dirt behind its body. They are
very good at this and can move much faster than you would
think. Moles build a nest burrow
and several main tunnels branching off of it. These are
fairly deep underground. From the main tunnels,
the mole digs several side tunnels which head towards the
surface. Then the mole digs "temporary" tunnels from the
side tunnels. These are what the mole uses to look for food.
Temporary tunnels are just under the surface of the soil.
The mole does not re-use the temporary tunnels, she just
digs new ones when she's hungry. It is temporary tunnels
that people see. We call them ridges, because we see raised
dirt above the normal ground level. American Museum of
Natural History Copyright, Barbara L.
Clauson The foods that moles are
searching for include: earthworms, insects (adults
and larvae),
snails, centipedes, spiders, and other small creatures. They
will sometimes eat mice or baby birds, if they find them.
While moles do sometimes
come above the surface, it is usually not for long.
Sometimes they wait by a hole, ready to grab food or run
back down if they see a threat. If a predator
does come, and the mole cannot get underground, it will
release a musk, which is a bad-smelling odor, to try to
change the predator's mind. The Wildlife Services
Image Collection The Wildlife Services
Image Collection
Eastern Moles have
few predators, because they are not easy to catch. Snakes, foxes,
raccoons, and owls will eat them if they can catch them.
Moles do not hibernate. Because their burrows are usually below the frost, they stay active in Winter.
Eastern Moles mate from February to March. Female moles have one litter a year, with two to five young. Nests are built with grasses, leaves, and plant parts in a burrow underneath a log, stump, or boulder.
Eastern Moles usually live about three years. Mole tunnels are sometimes used by other animals, especially voles and mice.
Tall weeds and grasses can help disguise mole holes and ridges and therefore offer some protection.
Relationships in Nature:
Relationship to Humans:
Eastern Moles help improve the soil by turning it over and mixing soil, air, and nutrients. This helps plant grow along with their poop, which is fertilizer.
Many people are annoyed by moles when they find ridges in their yard. What they don't stop to think about is why there are mole ridges in their yard. If moles dig tunnels under a lawn it is because they are finding food there. Most likely they are finding grubs (beetle larvae) which destroy lawns themselves. If you can live with the ridges, moles will take care of your grub problem. Then they will move somewhere else where there is more food. Letting moles do their thing is better for the entire environment than trying to poison the moles or grubs to get rid of them. When you use poisons, they stay in the soil and water and cause an unhealthy environment for all animals, including you.