Although eastern moles have no vision, they may be able to detect the presence or absence of light. Their ears are also covered by a layer of skin but they may be able to detect sounds and vibrations. Eastern moles probably find their way around and detect prey by their acute senses of smell and touch.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
The eastern mole is not endangered but has suffered persecution by avid gardeners and farmers who are displeased by the mounds of earth left behind and by the root damage caused by this animal.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
The eastern mole damages pastures and gardens by digging and injuring bulbs and root masses.
As an insectivore, this animal eats the larvae of many insect pests. It also helps to aerate and turn over the soil.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Eastern moles are important predators of insect larvae and other invertebrates, they can profoundly impact the communities of their prey. They also act to aerate and turn soil where they live through their extensive tunneling activities.
Ecosystem Impact: soil aeration
Scalopus aquaticus eats primarily earthworms. It also eats insects and their larvae, some vegetation, and, in captivity, ground beef, dog food, mice, and small birds. Each day this mole eats 25 to 100% of its own weight in food.
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats non-insect arthropods)
Scalopus aquaticus is found from southeastern Wyoming, South Dakota, and central Texas east to Michigan, Massachusetts, and New England, south to the tip of Florida, and north to Ontario. Small relict populations are found in southwestern Texas and in northwestern Mexico.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
The eastern mole prefers fields, meadows, pastures, and open woodland. It is not found in stony or gravelly soils or in clay but frequents moist, sandy, and loamy soils.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
One captive animal lived longer than 36 months. In the wild it is likely that eastern moles live for less than this.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 3.0 years.
Head and body length in Scalopus aquaticus ranges from 110 to 170mm. Tail length ranges from 18 to 36mm. This size variation occurs on a gradient with the largest animals in the northeast and the smallest in the southwest. The robust body is covered with a thick velvety fur of a color that varies from silver to black to copper. The short tail is round, almost hairless, and indistinctly scaly. The feet are scantily haired above, naked below, and quite large. The webbing between the toes of each foot aids in digging. These moles have no external eyes or ears. It is thought that the poorly developed eye may be effective in detecting light.
Range mass: 32.0 to 140.0 g.
Average mass: 74.6 g.
Range length: 110.0 to 170.0 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Average basal metabolic rate: 0.378 W.
Eastern moles spend 99% of their time in their underground tunnels, there are few predators that can find and catch them there.
Breeding and parturition occur once a year in Scalpous aquaticus. Breeding takes place in late March and early April in most of this mole's range, but the season begins in January in the south. Estimates of gestation length range from four weeks to 45 days. Litters usually contain two to five young. The young are independent in one month and are sexually mature by the next breeding season. One captive animal lived longer than 36 months.
Range number of offspring: 2.0 to 5.0.
Range gestation period: 45.0 (high) days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1.0 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1.0 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous
Average birth mass: 5.355 g.
Average number of offspring: 3.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 335 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 335 days.
Young eastern moles are cared for and nursed by their mother in her nest and tunnel system until they are weaned. They continue to share her tunnel system until they are able to forage on their own, when they leave and establish their own tunnel systems.
Parental Investment: altricial ; female parental care
The eastern mole or common mole (Scalopus aquaticus) is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of genus Scalopus. It is found in forested and open areas with moist sandy soils in northern Mexico, the eastern United States and the southwestern corner of Ontario in Canada.
The eastern mole has grey-brown fur with silver-grey underparts, a pointed nose and a short tail. It is about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in length including a 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long tail and weighs about 75 grams (2.6 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. It has 36 teeth. Its eyes are covered by fur and its ears are not visible.
The eastern mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, grubs, beetles, insect larvae and some plant matter. It is active year-round. It is mainly solitary except during mating in early spring. The female has a litter of two to five young in a deep burrow.
A majority of the moles throughout their range are Scalopus aquaticus aquaticus. All the other subspecies exist in small pocket ranges.
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Skeleton of an Eastern mole 
Molehill The eastern mole or common mole (Scalopus aquaticus) is a medium-sized North American mole. It is the only member of genus Scalopus. It is found in forested and open areas with moist sandy soils in northern Mexico, the eastern United States and the southwestern corner of Ontario in Canada.
The eastern mole has grey-brown fur with silver-grey underparts, a pointed nose and a short tail. It is about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) in length including a 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long tail and weighs about 75 grams (2.6 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging. It has 36 teeth. Its eyes are covered by fur and its ears are not visible.
The eastern mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, grubs, beetles, insect larvae and some plant matter. It is active year-round. It is mainly solitary except during mating in early spring. The female has a litter of two to five young in a deep burrow.
