The question of whether the groundhog preys upon the mole is a common point of confusion for homeowners dealing with subterranean activity. Groundhogs (woodchucks) and moles are distinct types of mammals that share an environment but occupy different feeding niches. The simple answer is that a groundhog does not eat a mole, due to fundamental differences in their diet.
The Groundhog’s Primary Diet
Groundhogs are large, herbivorous rodents, meaning their diet consists almost entirely of plant matter. Their physical adaptations, including specialized teeth and a digestive system, are designed to process fibrous vegetation efficiently. They spend a significant portion of their day foraging above ground to consume greens, which is necessary to build up fat reserves for winter hibernation.
Alfalfa, clover, dandelion, and various grasses form the staple of the groundhog’s diet. They are also notorious for consuming garden produce such as carrots, beans, peas, apples, and berries. While groundhogs are primarily herbivores, they are opportunistic feeders and will occasionally consume small invertebrates.
This occasional consumption includes items like grasshoppers, snails, or June bugs, but these constitute a minimal fraction of their overall intake. They are not equipped to hunt or consume other mammals. A mole does not fit the profile of their preferred, easily obtainable plant-based food sources.
The Mole’s Insectivorous Diet
In contrast to the groundhog, the mole is an insectivore whose diet is dominated by insects and other invertebrates found beneath the soil. Moles are subterranean hunters, possessing a high metabolism that requires them to consume a massive amount of food daily, often between 70% and 100% of their own body weight. They are constantly active in their tunnel systems, searching for their next meal.
Earthworms are the preferred food source for most mole species. A single mole can consume hundreds of earthworms daily, detecting them using their keen sense of smell and touch within the dark soil. Beyond earthworms, their menu includes:
- Beetle larvae
- Grubs
- Ants
- Slugs
- Spiders
Moles are equipped with large, paddle-like forefeet and powerful claws, which are suited for rapidly digging and navigating their underground world to catch invertebrates. The mole’s entire existence is tailored to locate and consume small, soft-bodied prey within the soil. Moles do not seek out or consume plants, making their feeding habits fundamentally different.
Coexistence and Burrow Competition
The confusion about a predatory relationship often stems from the fact that both animals create extensive tunnel systems that can overlap in the same geographic area. Groundhog burrows are large, deep residential structures, often reaching five to six feet below the surface. These burrows are used for nesting, hibernating, and escaping predators.
Mole tunnels are typically shallow, surface-level runways used for active foraging and hunting for insects. These feeding tunnels create the raised ridges and conical molehills often seen in lawns. While a groundhog may occasionally collapse or appropriate a mole’s tunnel, this interaction is an issue of territorial overlap and habitat disturbance, not a hunter-prey dynamic. The two species inhabit different layers of the underground environment, and their interactions are limited to competition for space.