Journal archives for August 2018

22 August, 2018

Gopher or mole (without seeing the animal)?

There are three clues to look for when trying to distinguish mole (Scalopus) sign from gopher (Geomys) sign.

  1. Texture of soil in the mound:
    very lumpy = mole (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13015309)
    granular (and sometimes with a plug visible) = gopher (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5087818)

  2. Position of mounds (not always apparent):
    no directional pattern or rarely distinctly curved = mole
    several in a fairly straight line = gopher (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4550501)

  3. Depth of tunnel:
    only an inch or two = mole (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/1242426)
    over a foot = gopher

Posted on 22 August, 2018 22:02 by pfau_tarleton pfau_tarleton | 4 comments | Leave a comment