Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus) lives in eastern North America across North America. It feeds on earthworms and insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Eastern Mole
- The eastern mole is a medium-sized North American mole that alone represents the genus Scalopus, making it taxonomically unique. It is the only species in that genus, so no other mole shares its classification. Its range stretches across northern Mexico, the eastern United States and the southwestern corner of Ontario, where it inhabits forested and open areas with moist sandy soils.
- The mole's front paws are broad and spade-shaped, an adaptation that makes them ideal for excavating soil. These specialised limbs allow the animal to tunnel efficiently through the soft, sandy or muddy substrates it prefers. It spends most of its life underground, foraging in shallow burrows where the powerful paws create a network of tunnels. This digging ability lets it pursue earthworms, grubs and other invertebrates hidden beneath the surface.
- The eastern mole's eyes are covered by fur and its ears are not visible, reflecting its adaptation to a subterranean lifestyle. It spends the majority of its existence underground, where these reduced sensory organs are less of a disadvantage.
- In Canada the eastern mole occupies roughly 2,600 acres in southern Ontario, chiefly within Essex and Kent Counties. Its strict requirement for soft, sandy or muddy soils forces it to avoid areas of clay or gravel, which means suitable ground is found only in scattered pockets. Consequently, the mole's distribution is highly fragmented, concentrating its populations in the few locales where the preferred substrate occurs.
- The eastern mole will only settle in soils that are soft, sandy or muddy, deliberately steering clear of clay or gravel. This narrow soil preference sharply reduces the amount of land it can call home, confining it to isolated pockets across its range. As a result, the species is found only where such favourable substrates exist, limiting its overall habitat availability.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatEastern North America
DietEarthworms and insects
About the Eastern Mole
In the secretive realm of subterranean tunnels, the Eastern Mole navigates with purpose, its velvety fur and spade-like front paws sculpted for the precise excavation of hidden pathways. As it moves through the dark, damp soil, its long, hairless snout twitches with an almost imperceptible sensitivity, detecting the faint vibrations of unsuspecting earthworms and insect larvae. With each deliberate stroke of its powerful claws, the mole reshapes its underground world, a master engineer of the unseen, crafting a labyrinthine domain that is at once its refuge and its realm.
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