BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Scapanus townsendii
Townsend's Mole
| Scientific Name: | Scapanus townsendii |
|---|---|
| English Name: | Townsend's Mole |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S1 |
| Date Status Assigned: | June 30, 1998 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | January 15, 2024 |
| Reasons: | This species is restricted to a very small area of land in the central Fraser Valley near the USA border, an area experiencing rapid human population growth. The total population number is low and it is not protected on private property (where they occur in BC) against killing for crop protection purposes. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | A = <100 square km |
| Range Extent Estimate (km2): | 52* |
| Range Extent Comments: | Known range in British Columbia is restricted to east of Abbotsford and in the vicinity of Huntingdon (COSEWIC 2003n; Nagorsen and Panter 2024) for a total of approximately 33 sq km. 52 km2 has been used as the extent of occurrence within the 2014 COSEWIC assessment in order to follow IUCN guidelines regarding the area of occupancy falling within the extent of occurrence (ECCC 2014). |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | D = 6-25 |
| Area of Occupancy Estimate (km2): | 52 |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | There are 13 2x2 km square grid cells near Huntingdon and Abbotsford (COSEWIC 2003n, ECCC 2014, Nagorsen and Panter 2024). |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | A = 1 - 5 |
| Comments: | There are three element occurrences mapped; one from around Huntingdon and two areas east of Abbotsford (Nagorsen and Panter 2024, COSEWIC 2003n). |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | AB = 0 - 3 |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | A = None |
| Comments: | None known. The majority of the land is private and within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). |
| Population Size: | C = 250 - 1,000 individuals |
| Comments: | Population estimate of 450 adult Townsend's Moles (COSEWIC 2003n). There has been no monitoring or overall inventory completed since the work done for the 2003 estimate (Nagorsen and Panter 2024). |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | AB = Very high - high |
| Comments: | Key threats identified within the COSEWIC status summary (ECCC 2014) were agriculture (habitat removal and fragmentation), biological resource use (mole trapping) and pollution (pesticides that reduce earthworm densities). Increasing urbanization and intensive agricultural practices continue to reduce the amount of suitable habitat available, and trapping by professional mole trappers and property owners may contribute to lower numbers (Sheehan and Galindo-Leal 1996; COSEWIC 2003n). Because moles in general are considered agricultural pests, even this rare species can be trapped and killed at any time to protect crops (MELP 1995). Coast moles, Scapanus orarius, has been found within the area and competition between the two species has not been studied or assessed (Nagorsen and Panter 2024). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | No trend data, but available habitat has declined and continues to decline. |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | B=Moderately vulnerable |
| Comments: | Three to four young annually that are prey for a number of predators. They breed in their first year and live until five to six years of age. |
| Environmental Specificity: | C=Moderate. Generalist or community with some key requirements scarce. |
| Comments: | Townsend's Moles prefer medium-textured silt loam with good humus content. They inhabit fields, meadows, lawns and other grassy habitats, preferring manured pastures and hay fields where earthworms are abundant; they are also found in open forests and light sandy soils (COSEWIC 2003n). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | |
| Inventory Needs: | Since traditional trapping methods have had little success (Kremsater and Andrusiak 1991), surveys of suitable habitat using mole hill size (Sheehan and Galindo-Leal 1997), documentation of kills by landowners, or further surveys of remains in owl pellets should be continued to monitor distribution and population size. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | |
| Management: | Encourage landowners to maintain or improve Townsend's Mole habitat, especially by increasing grass as a cover or forage crop, and request them to refrain from trapping this rare species. Discourage use of agricultural biocides that can kill earthworms and other soil dwelling invertebrates (Sheehan and Galindo-Leal 1996 status rep.). Knowledge of habitat size requirements, dispersal ability and population fluctuations is needed (Sheehan and Galindo-Leal 1996 Lower Fraser Valley rep.). |
| Version | |
| Author: | Ramsay, L. (2024), L. Gelling, L. Ramsay and S. Cannings.(2002 to 2015) |
| Date: | January 09, 2024 |
| References | |
|
Kremsater, L., and L. Andrusiak. 1991. Status report for the Townsend's Mole (Scapanus townsendii). Unpubl. rep. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch, Victoria. 44pp.
|
|
|
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. 1995. British Columbia 1995-96 hunting and trapping regulations synopsis. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch, Victoria. 103pp.
|
|
|
Nagorsen, D. and N. Panter. 2024. Shrews and Moles of British Columbia. Second Edition. Royal BC Museum Handbook. 239 pp.
|
|
|
Nagorsen, D.W. 1996. Opossums, Shrews and Moles of British Columbia. Royal B.C. Mus. Victoria, BC. 169pp.
|
|
|
Sheehan, S.T., and C. Galindo-Leal. 1996. Status report on Townsend's Mole, Scapanus townsendii, in Canada. Rep. submitted to the Comm. on the Status of Endangered Wildl. in Can., Ottawa. 45pp.
|
|
|
Sheehan, S.T., and C. Galindo-Leal. 1996. Townsend's mole (Scapanus townsendii) in the Lower Fraser Valley: distribution, habitat, densities and habitat management. Unpubl. rep. B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Wildl. Branch, Victoria. 56pp.
|
|
|
Sheehan, S.T., and C. Galindo-Leal. 1997. Identifying Coast Moles, Scapanus orarius, and Townsend's Moles, Scapanus townsendii, from tunnel and mound size. Can. Field-Nat. 111:463-465.
|
|
|
van Zyll de Jong, C.G. 1983. Handbook of Canadian mammals. 1. Marsupials and insectivores. National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. 210pp.
|
|
Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2024. Conservation Status Report: Scapanus townsendii. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 4, 2026).