How is a Mole Different From a Vole?

Two Commonly Confused Backyard Mammals

Oct 26, 2009

People easily confuse the small mammals called moles with those called voles because they have similar traits and behavior, and both inhabit backyard and garden areas.

In North America there are several varieties of moles and voles, which are small, brown-to-black mammals that burrow in the earth and often damage garden plants and lawns.

It is easy to become confused trying to figure out whether backyard damage is due to a mole or a vole, but there are five simple ways to make the distinction:

How Moles Use Tunnels Differently From Voles

Extensive tunnels that people discover have damaged a golf course or garden are the work of moles rather than voles. Moles spend most of their lives underground, with the exception of the Star-Nosed Mole, which often makes its way both above and below the ground or the snow. It is also semi-aquatic, burrowing in the banks of streams and feeding on aquatic worms and crustaceans.

Other common moles, like the Eastern Mole or Hairy-tailed Mole, can tunnel up to 15 feet per hour, simultaneously digging and searching for food. Since they generally don’t reuse the tunnels they’ve made, this increases the chance that a few moles in one yard can create a lot of damage, especially since they are active year-round. From another perspective, some mole activity is helpful to aerate and loosen soil.

Voles, on the other hand, prefer to be active above-ground, although this makes them more easy prey for hawks, owls, foxes and weasels, yet more likely to survive if flooding threatens a tunnel. Voles will move into tunnels created by moles, but dig exit holes around them. Moles do not exit their tunnels often or in this way, so noticing such holes is one way to determine if voles are around. Common species include the Meadow Vole and Southern Red-Backed Vole.

Eating Habits of Moles and Voles

A mole is an insectivore, feeding on earthworms, ants, beetles and insects that might be damaging to garden plants, like grubs and cutworms. They eat voraciously, consuming nearly their own weight in food each day. Voles, on the other hand, are rodents, part of the mouse and rat family, which prefer a diet of vegetation. They are known to gnaw on roots, stems and flower bulbs. They might choose to nibble on dropped fruit, and when green vegetation is scarce, they will eat bark.

Physical Characteristics of Moles and Voles

Upon closer examination, people can see that the physical traits of moles are different than voles. Moles have velvety, dirt-repellent fur to help them maneuver when they tunnel underground. Moles have eyes, but they are very small and buried in their fur, so often it appears that they don’t have any. They use their elongated, sensitive snouts and whiskers to feel their environment when they dig.

Voles have visible eyes, but they are smaller than that of a mouse. They also have visible ears, although they, too, are quite small. Moles have ears, but they do not have visible outer ear flaps, so to make a quick identification, check for eyes and ears, and if none are immediately noticeable, most likely the animal is a mole rather than a vole.

Controlling Moles and Voles in the Backyard

Things to consider when trying to control moles and voles that have taken up residence include curtailing grub populations to reduce the amount of food for moles; keeping lawns cropped short to discourage voles; raking up fallen sunflower seed from birdfeeders, which is an attractive snack for rodents; and protecting plants by installing wire fencing below ground level to block access to tasty roots and stems.

While moles and voles can be frustrating to share a space with, when kept in balance with their environment, they can be beneficial partners.

The copyright of the article How is a Mole Different From a Vole? in Mammals is owned by Cheryl Kraynak. Permission to republish How is a Mole Different From a Vole? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.