Connecticut mammals

Eastern Mole in Connecticut

Scalopus aquaticus

Native to Connecticut S5 Secure in Connecticut

Not listed as nonindigenous in Connecticut by USGS NAS; native to its Connecticut range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)Eastern mole surfacing head-first with front digging claws splayed
Photo: Bert Cash from Brunswick , USA · CC BY 2.0Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)Photo: Kenneth Catania, Vanderbilt University · CC BY-SA 3.0Front view showing the naked snout and paddle-shaped front feet

Eastern Mole in Connecticut, by the numbers

Occasional in Connecticut 30th most recorded of 70 mammals logged in Connecticut

46 occurrence records
45 with iNaturalist photos
Oct 25, 2025 Last seen in Connecticut

Records from 2000–2026.

46 total records count every Connecticut occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 45; the monthly chart covers the 45 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Eastern Mole in Connecticut

Most sightings fall in June to August.

45 Connecticut occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Connecticut records (table)
MonthRecords
January3
February0
March4
April1
May3
June7
July8
August5
September4
October7
November1
December2

Monthly eastern mole occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Connecticut, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Connecticut, with recorded sightings peaking in June–August, with a smaller rise in October.

Occurrence map

Where Eastern Mole has been recorded in Connecticut

45 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

45 Connecticut records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Naugatuck State Forestt 1
Norwalk River Flood Control Site 7B 1
West Rock Ridge State Park 1
Franklin Swamp Wildlife Area 1

Protected places with the most eastern mole sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Connecticut

CountyRecords
New Haven County 14
Hartford County 9
New London County 7
Middlesex County 6
Fairfield County 5
Tolland County 3
Litchfield County 1
Other localities 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 7 Connecticut counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Eastern moles spend nearly all their lives underground in Connecticut’s lawns, fields, open woods, and other well-drained soils. Their raised surface tunnels and round soil mounds are much easier to find than the animal itself, including in grassy portions of Hammonasset, Bluff Point, and Barn Island. Broad, outward-turned forefeet distinguish a mole from any shrew or mouse.

Scattered records occur in every season, with several small peaks rather than one clear viewing period. Treat tunnel systems as the observation: digging one open rarely produces a useful sighting and unnecessarily disrupts the animal.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
Full species profile Eastern Mole Scalopus aquaticus Size 14.8 cm5.8 in Weight 75 g2.6 oz Lifespan Up to 6.2 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Connecticut in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources: