Facilitating the protection and restoration of species and ecosystems at risk on BC’s South Coast
Townsend's Mole
Scapanus townsendii
Scapanus
townsendii
A member of the family Talpidae (“moles,shrew moles”). The largest mole in North America, it is one of two species in the genus Scapanus in BC, the other being the more common Coast Mole. Moles are generally distinguished by their fossorial (sub-surface) nature and much maligned for the complex tunnel networks they generate in agricultural and landscaped areas.
Length: 17.9-23.7 cm Tail: 3.5-5.5 cm Weight: males 142 g; females 119 g. The body is stocky and cylindrical with flat, paddle-shaped front feet with five strong, straight claws used for digging. The feet, tail and snout are pink or whitish and almost hairless except for the vibrissae (whiskers) which are used instead of visual cues for navigation and foraging. The pads or palms on the front feet face outwards. The fur is characteristically short, with a soft velvety or silky texture. Colour is dark grey to black with a pronounced sheen. Most moles are not truly blind, but as a genus that spends much of its time digging underground through soil the tiny eyes and small ears are hidden and protected by fur.
Download Species Fact Sheet in PDF
Status
Global Status:
G5
Provincial Status:
S1
SARA Status:
Endangered
BC List Status:
Red (Candidates for- Extirpated, Endangered, or Threatened status)
RESOURCES
For further information see:
A source for authoritative conservation information on thousands of plants and animals and hundreds of ecological communities in BC. From here connect to all provincial and federal recovery plans (including the SARA Registry), COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), Identified Wildlife guidance and conservation requirements for specific species and ecological communities of conservation concern impacted by forestry activities) and links to E-Flora and E-Fauna (the Electronic Atlas of the Plants and Wildlife of British Columbia).
A joint venture resource providing comprehensive information on a range of species and ecological communities specific to the Coast Region of BC (including the South, Central and North Coast, Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii).
Environmental guidelines for urban and rural land development in BC.
Learn what species are at risk in your area, search by name, habitat type, regional district and forest district.
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