There are no Moles native to Vancouver Island, but they sure would do well in Saanich, Metchosin and a few other localities. The preparator’s tag on our new specimen only has a number on it – so you may be asking: “What species of mole was found at UVIC?”
Contents
Do voles live on Vancouver Island?
Townsend’s Voles can be found as far north as Triangle Island (a small island north of Vancouver Island), east to Chilliwack, and south to northern California.
Do moles live in BC?
Species information
There are six species of moles in Canada. The two found in British Columbia are townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii) and the coast mole (S. orarius), both restricted to the Lower Mainland.
Are there voles in Victoria BC?
The two common species of voles present in the B.C. Interior are stout-bodied, short-tailed rodents often mistakenly called field or meadow mice. The meadow vole is about 14 to 17.5 cm long with small eyes and ears that barely extend beyond the fur. Both species prefer a habitat with abundant ground cover.
How do you get rid of moles in BC?
Generally speaking, the most effective control are traps that kill the mole. Not everyone likes this idea. The other alternative is to use a “pit trap” to capture the mole alive. If you opt to do this, it is important to check your trap regularly to see if you have caught anything.
How big are moles in BC?
17.9-23.7 cm
Moles are generally distinguished by their fossorial (sub-surface) nature and much maligned for the complex tunnel networks they generate in agricultural and landscaped areas. Length: 17.9-23.7 cm Tail: 3.5-5.5 cm Weight: males 142 g; females 119 g.
Are there shrews on Vancouver Island?
The dusky shrew is a common species found in a variety of moist habitats throughout BC, including on Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island. It is found in forests and unforested locations, including disturbed areas.
What is difference between mole and vole?
A mole has a pointed snout, enlarged front feet, and eyes and ears so tiny that they are not visible. A vole, also called a meadow mouse, has rounded ears and body and is reddish or brown and black in color with a gray underside.
Are there shrews in BC?
Of the 12 species of the family Soricidae (“shrews”), in BC, S.Also referred to as “Marsh Shrew” and “Bendire’s Shrew”, this species is at the northern end of its range in southwest BC and found nowhere else in Canada. Water shrews are the world’s smallest diving mammal.
Are there moles in the Okanagan?
Of six subspecies in British Columbia, the one which occurs in the Okanagan is mainly T. talpoides incensus, although subspecies fuscus has been recorded west to Anarchist Mountain. Pocket gophers are fossorial-animals.Only two other families of fossorial mammals occur in Canada: the Mountain Beaver and moles.
Are there Gophers in BC?
Pocket Gopher (Geomyidae), family of medium-sized, solitary, nonhibernating, subterranean RODENTS.The northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) lives in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and in south-central BC.
Can you relocate voles?
Wear gloves whenever handling a wild animal to avoid contact. If local laws permits, relocate your vole to a similar habitat that’s at least 5 miles from your property. If you believe the rest of the colony remains on your property, reset the trap in the same position after you’ve released the animal.
How do I get rid of voles?
Here are a few quick tips:
- Give the entire lawn surface a gentle rake to break up debris and excrement in vole runways and promote lawn growth.
- Fill in vole pathways with topsoil.
- Fertilize and overseed any areas of thin or chewed-down grass.
- Prune and fertilize trees or shrubs that have been gnawed on by voles.
What time of day are moles most active?
morning
They prefer moist, loamy soil and are most active in the early morning or evening in the spring or fall; they also come out after a warm rain. Moles have the distinguishing characteristic of a hairless, pointed snout.
What are the signs of moles in your yard?
Signs of moles in your yard include:
- Raised ridges crisscrossing your yard.
- Areas of discolored or dead grass that follow a specific path.
- Raised mounds of dirt. These are usually the entrance/exit to mole tunnels.
- Areas of your lawn feeling “squishy” or like the soil is very loose.
Are moles bad for your house?
Although the creatures may seem innocuous, they can cause large amounts of damage. “Moles contribute to the freeze-thaw cycle under foundations, slabs and sidewalks,” Loven explains. “Their tunnels allow water to accumulate and cracks to begin. This is not something to be blase about.”
What other animal looks like a mole?
Shrews
Shrews, like moles, are strictly insectivorous and eat earthworms, grubs and other nuisance insects. Unlike moles, shrews may occasionally be seen running above ground in search of food. They often use old mole, vole or chipmunk tunnels.
What are moles attracted to?
Other than during mating season, moles prefer to be alone; if you have a mole problem you are usually only dealing with one. Moles are attracted to food sources in your yard, digging through leaving behind tunnels, holes, and mounds of dirt. Moles require quite a bit of food to survive.
Do moles bite?
Like any mammal, moles have the potential to bite; but they rarely, if ever, bite people. They seldom come up to the surface of the ground and therefore rarely come into contact with people; moles are not considered to be a physical threat to humans.
Where do shrews live in BC?
lower Fraser Valley
These relatively large shrews occur along the Pacific Coast from northern California to southern British Columbia, where they are found only in the lower Fraser Valley. Within that range, about 0.5 percent of the area of the prov- ince, they are one of the rarest small mammals and have prob- ably always been uncommon.
Can shrews walk on water?
Immediately after swimming, water shrews dry off their fur using the hind feet. Besides swimming, some water shrews have been seen walking on the surface of water. It has been suggested that water shrews can walk on water because they can trap air bubbles in the stiff hairs of their feet.
