Star-nosed mole records in Maine number 166, concentrated in wetland-rich country like Acadia National Park and the North Woods, where damp ground gives this mole the marshy soil and open water it needs.
Bogs, streambanks, and Maine’s wet interior
Star-nosed moles favor marshes, wet meadows, stream banks, and damp forest floor, with tunnels that often open straight into water. Maine’s North Woods and central lakes country hold exactly that mix at scale, with bogs, slow streams, and lake edges spread across the interior, and Baxter State Park’s wetlands add more of the same further north.
Hunting by touch, on land and underwater
Twenty-two fleshy rays ring the nose, packed with touch receptors the mole taps rapidly against soil and prey before deciding almost instantly whether something’s food. It’s a strong swimmer, hunting insects, worms, and crustaceans both above and below the surface, aided by dense, water-resistant fur and a long, scaly tail that stores fat.
Status in Maine
NatureServe ranks the star-nosed mole S5, secure, and it’s native to Maine. Its Maine records trace the wetlands, bogs, and slow streams of the North Woods and central lakes country, and the state’s other wet, low ground.
