Yard Critter - Mole

Likely an Eastern Mole, Scalopus aquaticus, but as I didn't actually see the critter I cannot be sure.*

I was looking out my kitchen window one Saturday morning when I saw plants shaking in the garden. As this is usually a good indicator of wildlife activity I grabbed my binoculars for a closer look. I didn't see anything but as it was in a densely planted area I wasn't surprised.

So I grabbed a camera and headed outside to investigate further.

What I saw looked like this: click here for video.

Eventually it tunneled over to the cedar posts that edge the garden.

I watched it tunnel for a while along the edge. Click here for another video. Watch as an earthworm, a prime mole prey item, emerges and wiggles away.

I kept hoping it would poke through the surface, but it was not to be. Eventually it turned around and followed the tunnel back into the garden. A very cool encounter.

You can find all of the Yard Critter posts listed here.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

* There are three species of mole in New Jersey, the Eastern Mole, the Star-nosed Mole, and the Hairy-tailed Mole. Eastern is the most widespread, but it could have been any of the three.

The closest I've come to seeing one was one that was dead in the road in front of our house. Alas, it was too mutilated to identify further than 'mole'.