Subterranean mammals like the gopher and the mole are frequently confused due to their shared habit of digging tunnels and creating surface disruption in yards across North America. While both animals are adapted for a life underground, they belong to entirely different biological orders. The pocket gopher, a rodent, and the mole, an insectivore, possess fundamental differences in their physical appearance, dietary needs, and burrowing behaviors. Understanding these distinctions is the first step in identifying which creature is responsible for the damage to your lawn or garden.
Distinct Physical Characteristics
The most telling difference between the two animals lies in their anatomy, particularly the structures they use for digging. Pocket gophers are medium-sized rodents, typically measuring 6 to 12 inches long, characterized by prominent, constantly growing incisor teeth. These large, exposed front teeth are used for both feeding and excavating soil. Gophers are named for the large, fur-lined external cheek pouches they use to carry food and nesting materials back to their burrows.
Moles, conversely, are smaller, usually 4 to 7 inches in length, and are classified as insectivores, related more closely to shrews than to rodents. Their bodies are specialized for powerful burrowing, featuring massive, paddle-like front feet that are rotated outward with long, heavy claws. Moles lack external ear flaps, and their eyes are tiny, often covered by fur, which reflects their reliance on touch and smell rather than sight. The fur of a mole is characteristically short and velvety, allowing them to move easily backward or forward within their tunnels.
Varying Diets and Behavior
The primary reason each animal digs is fundamentally different, which directly influences their behavior and where they construct their tunnels. The pocket gopher is an herbivore, meaning its entire burrow system is constructed around searching for, storing, and consuming vegetation. Gophers actively seek out the roots, tubers, bulbs, and stems of plants, often pulling entire plants down into their tunnels. Their extensive, deep burrow systems, often located 6 to 18 inches below ground, are permanent residences used for living and caching food.
Moles are insectivores and are hunting as they dig. Their diet consists almost entirely of subterranean invertebrates, particularly earthworms, grubs, and insect larvae. A mole’s tunneling is a continuous search for prey, allowing them to cover large territories that can span one to two acres. Behaviorally, both species are solitary and territorial, only seeking out others for mating.
How to Identify Their Tunnels and Mounds
Gopher mounds are typically shaped like a horseshoe or crescent, appearing flat and asymmetrical. The entrance hole, used to push out excavated soil, is always plugged with soil and offset to one side of the mound. These mounds result from the gopher kicking dirt out of a lateral tunnel that connects to the deeper, permanent burrow system.
Mole activity results in two primary types of surface disturbance. The most recognizable are the round, symmetrical, volcano-shaped mounds, often called molehills, created when the mole pushes dirt straight up from a deep, vertical tunnel. The soil in a molehill is fine and lacks a visible plug or opening in the center. Moles also create shallow feeding tunnels just beneath the surface, which appear as raised, spongy ridges or runways in the lawn.