Home/Species/ Eastern Mole

Scalopus aquaticus

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Eastern Mole

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106146

Element CodeAMABB04010

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassMammalia

OrderEulipotyphla

FamilyTalpidae

GenusScalopus

Other Common Names

eastern mole (EN) Taupe à queue glabre (FR)

Concept Reference

Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.

Taxonomic Comments

Subspecies inflatus, montanus, and aereus have been regarded as full species by some authors, but Jones et al. (1992), Hutterer (in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005), and most other authors have treated Scalopus as a monotypic genus.

Conservation Status

Rank MethodExpertise without calculation

Review Date2016-04-05

Change Date1996-11-04

Range Extent Comments

Throughout much of eastern U.S. from Massachusetts, southern New York, extreme southwestern Ontario (see Macaulay, 1980 COSEWIC report), southern Minnesota, and Nebraska, south to northern Tamaulipas, northern Coahuila, eastern Texas, and Florida.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Most commonly occurs in open areas with moist soils, such as lawns, meadows, and golf courses. Bottomland wooded areas also are utilized. Soft humid soils are preferred over gravelly, dry soils. Two types of underground passageways: near-surface and deep. Surface are commonly seen with their raised ridges. Deep (10-24") provide wintering/breeding areas. Den sites often are located under protection of a surface object.

Ecology

Home range varies from 0.5-4.5 acres (Schwartz and Schwartz 1981); home range of male larger than that of female. In summer, densities may reach three individuals per acre. Generally solitary, except when males seek females for breeding.

Reproduction

Breeding season: March-April. Gestation last 42-45 days. Litter size is 2-5; 1 litter per year. Sexually mature within 1 year. Few live more than 4 years (Davis and Choate, 1993, J. Mamm. 74:1014-1025).

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedSavannaGrassland/herbaceousOld fieldDesertCropland/hedgerowSuburban/orchard

Other Nations (2)

CanadaN1

Province	Rank	Native
Ontario	S2	Yes

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
Louisiana	S4	Yes
Rhode Island	SNR	Yes
Kentucky	S5	Yes
West Virginia	S3	Yes
Illinois	S5	Yes
Oklahoma	SNR	Yes
Wyoming	S2	Yes
Tennessee	S5	Yes
Florida	SNR	Yes
Alabama	S5	Yes
Massachusetts	S5	Yes
Wisconsin	S5	Yes
Texas	S5	Yes
Nebraska	S5	Yes
Kansas	S5	Yes
Georgia	S5	Yes
Delaware	S5	Yes
New Jersey	S5	Yes
Iowa	S5	Yes
Colorado	S2	Yes
Connecticut	S5	Yes
Indiana	S5	Yes
Maryland	S5	Yes
South Dakota	S4	Yes
Virginia	S5	Yes
Mississippi	S5	Yes
New York	S5	Yes
District of Columbia	S5	Yes
South Carolina	S5	Yes
Missouri	S4	Yes
Michigan	S5	Yes
Arkansas	S5	Yes
Minnesota	SNR	Yes
Ohio	SNR	Yes
Pennsylvania	S5	Yes
North Carolina	S5	Yes

Roadless Areas (5)

Arkansas (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
Bear Mountain	Ouachita National Forest	1,910
Dismal Creek	Ozark-St. Francis National Forest	9,160

North Carolina (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Tusquitee Bald	Nantahala National Forest	13,670

Virginia (2)

Area	Forest	Acres
North Mountain	Jefferson National Forest	8,377
Three Ridges	George Washington National Forest	4,745

References (23)

American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2025. Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.13) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10595931. Online. Available: https://www.mammaldiversity.org/
Baker, R. H. 1983. Michigan mammals. Michigan State University Press. 642 pp.
Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
Bradley, R.D., L.K. Ammerman, R.J. Baker, L.C. Bradley, J.A. Cook. R.C. Dowler, C. Jones, D.J. Schmidly, F.B. Stangl Jr., R.A. Van den Bussche and B. Würsig. 2014. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2014. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 327:1-28. Available at: http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP327.pdf
Caire, W., J. D. Tyler, B. P. Glass, and M. A. Mares. 1989. Mammals of Oklahoma. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. Oklahoma. 567 pp.
Carraway, L. N., L. F. Alexander, and B. J. Verts. 1993. Scapanus townsendii. Mammalian Species 434:1-7.
Godin, A. J. 1977. Wild mammals of New England. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 304 pp.
Gorman, M. L., and R. D. Stone. 1990. The natural history of moles. Cornell Univ. Press. 208 pp.
Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I & II. John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
Hallett, J. G. 1978. Parascalops breweri. Mammalian Species 98. 4 pp
Hamilton, W. J., Jr., and J. O. Whitaker, Jr. 1979. Mammals of the eastern United States. Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, New York. 346 pp.
Hartman, G. D. and T. L. Yates. 1985. Scapanus orarius. American Society of Mammalogists, Mammalian Species No. 253:1-5.
Harvey, M.J. 1976. Home range, movements, and diel activity of the eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus. Am. Midl.Nat. 95(2):436-445.
Jackson, H. H. T. 1915. A review of the American moles. North American Fauna 38:1-100.
Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
Linzey, D.W. 2016. Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 2016 revision. Southeastern Naturalist 15(Monograph 8):1–93.
Mammalian Species, nos. 1-604. Published by the American Society of Mammalogists.
Nowak, R. M. 1991. Walker's mammals of the world. Fifth edition. Vols. I and II. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore. 1629 pp.
Schwartz, C. W., and E. R. Schwartz. 1981. The wild mammals of Missouri. University of Missouri Press, Columbia. 356 pp.
van Zyll de Jong, C.G. 1983. Handbook of Canadian mammals. 1. Marsupials and insectivores. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 210 pp.
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
Yates, T.L. and D.J. Schmidly. 1978. Scalopus aquaticus. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 105. 4pp.