MAMMALS come in all sizes from the largest of all, blue whales, to the smallest like the Least shrew. Whales are entirely aquatic and live in ocean environments.

Shrews are land animals that can be found in prairie grasslands, or along forested edges or wetland fringes. For today’s comparison purposes, I have chosen the badger and a mole to learn more about these diggers of soil. Each has a story to tell about natural history happenings close to where we live.

Mammals are just one category of our natural resources. Each species, large or small, has a role to play and a job to do as prescribed by Mother Nature.

Many times the tasks of any one mammal species have long range benefits to the entire ecosystem. We humans may know a little bit about the benefits these animals bring to the complex web of life.

However, we humans are also adept and too prone to pounce on the negatives a mammal may cause if its actions interfere with our limited definitions of what pleases us. So as humans we may be quick to judge without knowing all the facts.

We condemn moles for disrupting lawns or golf courses. Farmers and ranchers may condemn badgers for deep holes left behind after a gopher excavation foray in pasture lands.

There has to be positive and negative aspects to each animal’s habits and actions. Are we willing to listen to all the facts? Are we willing to learn to live with the “good” and the “bad?” Can we manage around all of these pluses and minuses? Let’s take a look.

Badgers are medium sized heavy-bodied members of the weasel family. Short stout legs, long claws, powerful muscles and an attitude of defiance toward any adversary is a pretty sure signal to not mess with a badger.

Five long clawed front toes mean business when digging or when used to defend itself against a coyote or farmer’s dog. The body is low slung, wide and can be from 26 to 35 inches long. An adult may weigh in at 15 to 30 pounds. They have 34 teeth and long impressive canine teeth. Badgers are strictly meat eaters.

They are not particularly numerous but Iowa has what is thought to be a small but stable population. Grassland habitats are their preferred places to find food and live.

An interesting fact about badgers are their defense mechanisms. They have two pairs of scent glands, one set on their belly and other near its anus. The latter is strong but has an unoffensive odor.

Unlike its cousin the skunks, it cannot direct a flow of scent directly at an opponent. The scent uses are most likely a factor for male and female identification and territory markings.

A large amount of loose fur and abundant body fat make the badger’s body a wiggly mass of fur to any coyote attempting to kill it. Success by a coyote is very low. Badgers are strong fighters and can easily defeat most dogs.

Badgers may be found from Ohio west all the way to California and from northern Mexico to southern Canada. Permanent grasslands are the best places to have an accidental meeting with this animal. Food sources of badgers include ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and mice. Other foods may include rattlesnakes to which they will eat it all except the head.

Young rabbits from those nests if found will be used. Lizards, moles, turtle eggs, beetles and grasshoppers, ground nesting birds and their eggs, snails and even fish.

Their burrow entrance will be about 12 inches in diameter leading toward a shallow burrow. They are active mostly at night. They do not hibernate but do sleep a lot during the winter season. They may wake up during winter to dig out true hibernating gophers, then go back to the den to sleep.

Badgers are very strong diggers. They can dig a hole faster than a man can who is using a shovel. The animal loosens the soil with its front clawed feet, passes the loose soil under its belly and then uses its back feet to push the soil out the hole.

Once in a burrow, its safe place, it is difficult to dislodge. They are also good swimmers.

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Today’s other strong digger in the soil is the little critter called a mole. Its Latin name is interesting — Scalopus aquaticus, which was assigned to this mammal based on its large webbed front feet.

Originally thought to be a water creature, facts soon developed that its digging action just under the surface of grassland or woodland soils resembles swimming motion, and has nothing to do with water.

Regardless, the front limbs of moles are built to dig. Its arms are strong and the claws loosen soil quite well. Its pointed snout helps to push the soil up and over its body. The nose is an acute organ of touch.

Its nostrils are on top of its snout. Mole eyes are diminutive and probably can only detect the difference between light and dark.

Adult moles are from five to eight inches long and weigh between one to five ounces. Burrow tracks just under the surface of grasslands, or lawns, are typical.

While searching for foods by smell primarily, the burrow roof will be pushed upward leaving a small linear mound. The majority of surface tunneling routes are not reused.

Deeper tunnels exist from 10 to 18 inches deep. Winter tunnels are dug to levels below the frost line.

Moles feed on earthworms and other insects like grubs. Lawns with grub infestations are good mole feeding grounds.

However, the primary foods are far and away plant matter based. If insect larvae are discovered, or millipedes, centipedes, spiders, sowbugs, slugs or snails, all will be eaten.

Moles are insatiable eaters. In captive lab tests, moles eat one-half of their body weight each day. There is no question that moles are part of Mother Nature’s insect and bug control mechanism. Add to this water infiltration assistants and soil aeration enablers.

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SOILS are the surface layers of organic matter that are full of life. The list of animals, both mammal, insect or amphibian and reptile, that use soil to dig into is a very long list.

Just a few other critters that dig deep into the dirt include coyotes, foxes, skunks, ground squirrels, beavers, mink, rabbits, mice, voles, snakes, bumblebees and many species of wasps. Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, dig long tunnel networks in the dirt. Let us just say this about those critters, they are important even if we humans do not understand the entire big picture of their benefits to ecosystems.

Long live those things that dig in the dirt.

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During my hikes and country road driving routes, I have observed several fawn white-tailed deer, the new crop of the year. Best times seem to be in the early evening along field edges. Cornfields are doing well but their level is still low enough to not hide the brown fur of adult deer or the spotted coats of fawn deer. Wild turkey toms are gathered together while the hens are concealed sitting on nests.

Pheasants are sometimes observed in low grasses. For the most part I hear rooster pheasant crow calls and never see the bird itself. It is good to know they are doing okay.

Speaking of pheasants, the more one travels northwest in Iowa and into the Dakotas, the better the population of ring-neck pheasants becomes. According to the website titled The Venatic (https://thevenatic.beehiv.com), this colorful upland game bird is doing well. Iowa has a good number of pheasants, considering the intense land use we have.

As one travels into South Dakota, harvest information from the Game, Fish and Parks department has this to say about 2024. Hunters last year took more cock pheasants than they did 13 years ago.

Hunter harvest was estimated at 1.3 million birds. Another 380,000 birds were taken in licensed shooting preserves.

“This was a spectacular outdoor activity,” said Gov. Larry Rhoden. “This is truly the greatest state to pheasant hunt. The state saw more roosters harvested in two weeks of October 2024 than any other state during the entire season.”

South Dakota’s pheasant hunt data comes from 15,000 random surveys of resident hunters and 13,000 nonresident hunters. Over winter survival was absolutely phenomenal.

Pheasant hunting is an economical engine for the state. Farmers and ranchers are eager to sign up for Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) in the James River and Big Sioux River Valleys. Pheasants Forever is a partner in the program to help pay landowners who allow access to grasslands.

The 2025-26 South Dakota pheasant season will be Oct. 18, 2025 to Jan. 31, 2026.

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Garry Brandenburg is the retired director of the Marshall County Conservation Board. He is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BS degree in Fish & Wildlife Biology.

Contact him at:

P.O. Box 96

Albion, IA 50005