When subterranean activity disturbs a lawn or garden, people often wonder if a gopher or a mole is responsible. While both animals live underground and create tunnels, they are distinct species with different characteristics and behaviors. Understanding these differences can help identify which creature might be present.
Distinctive Appearances
Gophers, also known as pocket gophers, are rodents 5 to 14 inches in length. They have stocky bodies, short legs, and powerful front claws for digging. A defining feature of gophers is their prominent, fur-lined external cheek pouches used for carrying food and nesting materials. Their eyes and ears are small but noticeable, and they have large incisor teeth that protrude even when their mouths are closed. Their fur color matches the soil in their habitat, providing camouflage.
Moles, on the other hand, are smaller mammals, 4 to 11 inches long. They have cylindrical bodies covered in soft, velvety fur that can be black, brown, or gray. Moles are recognized by their large, paddle-like front paws with strong claws, perfectly suited for “swimming” through soil. Their eyes are very small and often hidden by fur, and they lack external ear flaps. A pointed, hairless snout is also a characteristic mole feature.
Subterranean Lifestyles
Both gophers and moles lead predominantly solitary lives beneath the earth’s surface. Gophers are highly territorial and prefer to live alone in their extensive burrow systems, which can span from 200 to 2,000 square feet. They are active year-round and do not hibernate, engaging in digging and foraging day and night. Gophers inhabit areas with softer, well-drained soil, such as grasslands, meadows, and agricultural fields, where edible plants are abundant.
Moles are solitary, coming together mainly for mating purposes. They remain active throughout all seasons, searching for food. Moles prefer moist, loose soil, found in lawns, gardens, and woodlands, as this type of soil is easier to dig through and is rich in their preferred food sources. A single mole can maintain a territory encompassing up to 2.7 acres, constantly expanding their network of tunnels.
Tunneling Signatures
The distinct tunneling patterns and mounds left by these animals offer clear clues to their identity. Gophers create fan-shaped, crescent-shaped, or horseshoe-shaped mounds of soil. A key indicator for gopher mounds is a plugged hole, which is off to one side of the mound, where the gopher pushes dirt out. Their tunnels are deeper, ranging from 6 to 18 inches below the surface, though nesting and food storage chambers can extend up to 6 feet deep. Gophers do not create raised surface ridges in the soil.
In contrast, moles produce volcano-shaped or conical mounds of soil, with no visible entrance hole in the center, as the dirt is pushed up from below. Moles are also responsible for creating raised surface runways, which appear as visible ridges across a lawn. Their foraging tunnels are shallower, just 1 to 12 inches below the surface, allowing them to hunt for invertebrates close to the ground. Moles are efficient diggers, capable of tunneling at a rate of up to 18 feet per hour.
Dietary Preferences
The diets of gophers and moles vary significantly, reflecting their different biological classifications and foraging strategies. Gophers are herbivores. They consume roots, tubers, and bulbs, which they access through their underground tunnels. Gophers also eat grasses, forbs, and occasionally other above-ground plant parts like leaves and stems, pulling them into their burrows.
Moles, conversely, are insectivores. Their diet consists of earthworms, grubs, and other soil invertebrates such as beetle larvae, ants, spiders, and centipedes. Moles have a high metabolism and can eat a substantial amount of food, consuming 70% to 100% of their body weight daily. They possess a unique saliva that can paralyze earthworms, allowing them to store their prey alive for later consumption in underground larders.
Identifying Presence
Identifying whether a gopher or a mole is present involves observing the specific signs they leave behind. Look for gopher activity indicated by fan-shaped or crescent-shaped mounds of fresh soil with a plugged hole off to one side. Wilting plants or plants pulled underground also suggest gophers, as they are herbivores.
Mole activity is identified by volcano-shaped or conical mounds without a visible central opening, along with raised ridges or trails across the lawn. These ridges may feel spongy when stepped upon, signifying shallow tunnels. While moles do not eat plants, their extensive tunneling can indirectly damage plant roots. To confirm mole activity, flatten a raised surface tunnel; if it is rebuilt within 24 hours, the tunnel is active.