Virginia mammals

Eastern Mole in Virginia

Scalopus aquaticus

Native to Virginia S5 Secure in Virginia

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

Common in Virginia 26th most recorded of 105 mammals logged in Virginia

291 occurrence records
259 with iNaturalist photos
Jul 6, 2026 Last seen in Virginia

Records from 2000–2026.

291 total records count every Virginia occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 290; the monthly chart covers the 281 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Eastern Mole in Virginia

Most sightings fall in May to June.

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

Monthly Virginia records (table)
MonthRecords
January9
February15
March25
April30
May57
June36
July17
August14
September16
October26
November18
December18

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Virginia, with recorded sightings peaking in May–June.

Occurrence map

Where Eastern Mole has been recorded in Virginia

290 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

290 Virginia records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Appalachian National Scenic Trail 6
Powhatan State Park 3
Blandy Experimental Station 3
George Washington National Forest 2
Shenandoah National Park 2
Claytor Lake State Park 2
Manassas National Battlefield Park 2
Jefferson National Forest 2

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 Virginia

CountyRecords
Westmoreland County 23
Loudoun County 14
Henrico County 13
Arlington County 13
Fairfax County 11
Falls Church County 10
Prince William County 9
Albemarle County 9
Gloucester County 9
Chesterfield County 9
Northampton County 9
Richmond County 8
61 other counties 154

The complete county distribution, spread across 73 Virginia counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Eastern-mole records are scattered unusually broadly, from Breaks Interstate Park, Shenandoah, and the Blue Ridge to Great Dismal Swamp, Mason Neck, and the Chesapeake Bay. May and June account for the clearest rise in reports, likely helped by visible tunnels or above-ground finds; because this subterranean mammal is easy to miss, the record cannot stand in for 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 Virginia 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"