What is the Largest Mole in America?
The Townsend’s Mole (Scapanus townsendii)! For today's Mole Fact, we look at the largest mole in North America.
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, from northwest California along the west coast to southwestern British Columbia, you can find North America’s largest mole species. This mole can range from about 7 to 9 inches in length and like pastures, meadows, fields, prairie and shrub land. They can also live in more wooded zones as well, though they prefer more open land.
They are also one of the few moles that supplement their worm and insect diet with vegetation such as roots. This can make them destructive to gardens, though one mole is hardly a problem, since the bulk of the diet will still be grubs.
Their large size means they leave large mole hills and mole runs. These can be gently padded down with a spade and the dirt removed if you find them unsightly.
They are a pacific northwest treasure and an important animal in the environment. In some parts of their Canadian range, they are a protected species.
This article was originally posted on Moles and More! by Vampireseal
If Townsend's moles are causing you problems, be sure to see if you need eliminate them in the first place.
If you do need to humanely remove Townsend's moles, check out the shop for tools to help repel moles without hurting them!
