Is it a mole or a vole?

I knew that in Park City, we had moles, but over the years I also heard being called vole a small rodent similar to a mole. Springtime is when we discover the terrible job they do in our yards! 

Too lazy to check the difference, I assumed it was about the same, this is why I finally resolved myself to find that difference, in case there was one. Put it simply, the main difference between the two is in their diet. Moles “M” are meat-eaters, and their diet consists of insects, grubs, and earthworms while Voles “V”, on are simply vegetarians and eat the roots and stems of plants.

Profile of a Mole 

A mole is 4 to 7 inches long with paddle-shaped feet and prominent digging claws. It has an elongated head and snout, small eyes, and no external ears. Not a good looking guy by any means… 

The short black-to-brownish-gray fur has no grain, which allows the mole to move easily forward and backward in the tunnels. It digs characteristic volcano-shaped hills in the lawn. The tunnels are dug at a rate of 18 feet per hour and can add 150 feet of new tunnels in the lawn each day. 

Moles are expert diggers that will consume up to 60 to 100% of their body weight in insects, grubs, and earthworms each day. This equates to a 5-ounce mole eating 50 pounds of its prey in a year. 

Profile of a Vole 

Voles look like field mice with short tails, compact heavy bodies, small eyes, and partially hidden ears. Voles are 5 to 8 inches long and have prominent orange teeth for gnawing plant roots and stems. I like these little creatures. 

These savvy guys will dig characteristic golf ball-sized exit holes in previously established mole tunnels. One day a plant will be beautiful, and a few days later, it will have fallen over with the roots gnawed off. 

There may be multiple residents in a vole colony, so habitat modification is important in controlling them. 

Now you know the difference between these two underground characters.