Eastern Mole in South Dakota

Scalopus aquaticus

Native to South Dakota S4 Apparently Secure in South Dakota

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

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

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 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 Dakota, by the numbers

Occasional in South Dakota 59th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in South Dakota

6 occurrence records

6 with iNaturalist photos

Sep 26, 2025 Last seen in South Dakota

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Eastern Mole in South Dakota

Most sightings fall in June.

6 South Dakota occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly South Dakota records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	0
April	1
May	0
June	2
July	0
August	1
September	2
October	0
November	0
December	0

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

Seasonality

Sparse observation record in South Dakota; presence confirmed but timing of activity not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Eastern Mole has been recorded in South Dakota

6 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

6 South Dakota records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Palisades	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 Dakota

County	Records
Minnehaha County	3
Union County	1
Clay County	1
Shannon County	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 4 South Dakota 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, so South Dakota’s record for the species is thin: just 6 records since 2000, each an iNaturalist observation that’s also carried in GBIF, because actually seeing a mole above ground is rare even where they’re established. NatureServe rates the state population S4, apparently secure, in a state that sits near the western edge of this species’ range.

Records scatter across four months, April, June, August, and September, with June and September tied at 2 each, too thin a pattern to draw a firm seasonal trend from beyond confirming the mole’s presence, mostly in the southeast corner, where Minnehaha, Union, and Clay counties account for all but one record.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

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 Dakota 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"