Moles vs. Voles: Everything You Never Knew You Always Wanted to Know

Today while at my gardening job, I was raking a Gigantic Leaf Pile. I was also listening to Sugarland on my ipod. All of a sudden, I heard a piercing screeching noise that sounded like some strange bird. All that noise was comming from a tiny wiggling grey lump at my feet. I crouched down to his level and said, "Why hello, little guy! You are a strange little creature." And he really was. He looked like a tiny lump of dirt with a pink nose on the end, and he wanted desperately to continue to burrow. I can understand that! So I said goodbye and left him alone.

The remainder of my leaf-raking time I spent thinking about this poor little guy. I was quite certain he wasn't a mouse. Was he a mole? Or was he a vole? I didn't really know the difference.


A mole is a small burrowing mammal. Normally you can't see its eyes or ears (just its nose) They live underground and eat earthworms.


A vole, on the other hand is a small rodent that resembles a mouse, but smaller and stouter. They are also known as field mice. They eat seeds, bark, vegetation, and insects.


I vote for the vole as Cutest Animal Ever... although my new friend was indeed the former.