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Project Noah Nature School
Scapanus orarius
Shrews and moles such as this one are often found as corpses, for various reasons I don't understand too well.
Spotted on Oct 1, 2010
Submitted on Sep 30, 2011
4 Comments
Don't forget domestic cats! Those things kill and leave the evidence for the files quite often.
I've had quite a bit more luck catching it alive (though the nose appeared to be mutilated as well (like I mentioned above)):
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/728...
The reason why they're found mostly as corpses above ground is pretty easy: Either they get slaughtered by human machines/tools (such as lawn mowers) or end up dead due to traps or poisoned bait-traps (usually not for the moles but for rats or similar) - and finally they're easy preys: Birds of prey just have to wait for them to peek out of their holes.
You are right, you don't see them much above ground unless they have expired. Good picture.