Raccoons, with their distinctive masked faces and ringed tails, are widespread mammals often encountered in various environments, from dense forests to urban areas. Moles, in contrast, are primarily subterranean creatures, spending most of their lives tunneling beneath the surface. This article explores the relationship between these two animals, specifically addressing the question of whether raccoons consume moles.
Raccoon Dietary Habits
Raccoons are highly adaptable omnivores, meaning their diet consists of both plant and animal matter. Their food choices are largely influenced by what is available in their environment and can vary with the seasons. They are known for their opportunistic feeding habits, consuming a wide array of food sources.
Their diet includes fruits, berries, nuts, and grains, which are particularly important during warmer months for building fat reserves. Raccoons also prey on a variety of small animals, including insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and earthworms, and crustaceans like crayfish and clams.
Raccoons also hunt small vertebrates, such as mice, voles, shrews, and young rabbits. They consume bird eggs and chicks, amphibians, and fish, especially in areas near water sources. In urban settings, their adaptability extends to scavenging human refuse, including discarded food from trash cans and pet food left outdoors.
Raccoons as Opportunistic Predators of Moles
While moles are not a primary or common food source for raccoons, raccoons are capable of preying on them. Moles typically remain underground, which offers them protection from predators. However, they become vulnerable when they venture closer to the surface or if their tunnels are disturbed.
Raccoons possess keen senses, particularly touch, and are skilled diggers, which aids them in foraging for subterranean prey like grubs and earthworms. When raccoons dig up lawns in search of these common food items, they may inadvertently expose mole tunnels or directly encounter moles near the surface. This opportunistic digging can lead to a mole becoming an unexpected meal.
Predation on moles by raccoons is more likely to occur when other food sources are scarce, or if a mole is encountered above ground, such as during heavy rains when tunnels might flood. Although raccoons may kill moles, moles possess a strong, bitter oil in their fur that many predators find unappealing, suggesting they might not always be preferred prey. Therefore, while raccoons can and do kill moles, it is generally an occasional opportunistic act rather than a regular part of their diet.