South Carolina mammals

Eastern Mole in South Carolina

Scalopus aquaticus

Native to South Carolina S5 Secure in South Carolina

Not listed as nonindigenous in South Carolina by USGS NAS; native to its South Carolina 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 South Carolina, by the numbers

Common in South Carolina 22nd most recorded of 108 mammals logged in South Carolina

564 occurrence records
109 with iNaturalist photos
May 23, 2026 Last seen in South Carolina

Records from 2000–2026.

564 total records count every South Carolina occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 563 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Eastern Mole in South Carolina

Most sightings fall in January to February.

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

Monthly South Carolina records (table)
MonthRecords
January62
February75
March43
April20
May59
June43
July52
August43
September15
October55
November65
December31

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

Seasonality

Year-round in South Carolina, with recorded sightings peaking in January–February, with a smaller rise in May and July.

Occurrence map

Where Eastern Mole has been recorded in South Carolina

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 South Carolina records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Table Rock State Park 2
Edisto Beach State Park 2
Cohen Campbell Fish Hatchery 1
Myrtle Beach State Park 1
Huntington Beach State Park 1
Ninety Six National Historic Site 1
South Bluff Heritage Preserve 1
Francis Marion National Forest 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 South Carolina

CountyRecords
Barnwell County 388
Charleston County 53
Aiken County 19
Beaufort County 12
Pickens County 11
Berkeley County 10
Dorchester County 9
Richland County 8
Greenville County 8
Horry County 6
York County 6
Sumter County 3
17 other counties 31

The complete county distribution, spread across 29 South Carolina counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Eastern moles occur in loose, workable soils across South Carolina, from Upstate woods around Table Rock and Caesars Head to Coastal Plain sites in Francis Marion and Huntington Beach. Raised surface ridges and fresh soil mounds usually provide the clearest evidence; seeing the animal above ground is unusual.

Reports span the year, with stronger clusters in May–June and October. Soil moisture affects near-surface tunneling and detectability, so records of mole sign do not translate directly into month-by-month abundance.

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 South Carolina in the atlas

Data & sources

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

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"