Mole vs. Vole — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 18, 2024
A mole is a burrowing mammal known for digging tunnels and feeding on insects. A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse, known for damaging plants and gardens by feeding on roots and stems.
Difference Between Mole and Vole
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A mole is a small, burrowing mammal that primarily lives underground. Moles have cylindrical bodies, strong forelimbs, and large paws adapted for digging. They create complex tunnel systems and primarily feed on insects, earthworms, and other invertebrates found in the soil. A vole, on the other hand, is a small rodent that resembles a mouse but has a stouter body, shorter tail, and a blunt snout. Voles are known for their destructive behavior in gardens and agricultural areas, as they feed on roots, bulbs, and stems of plants.
While moles create noticeable mounds and ridges as they tunnel through the soil, voles are more likely to be seen running above ground or creating small holes near plants. Moles rarely come to the surface, whereas voles are often spotted scurrying through vegetation.
Moles are solitary animals, each creating its own tunnel network, whereas voles are more social and live in colonies. This social behavior of voles often leads to more significant damage to plants and crops as they feed in groups.
Comparison Chart
Classification
Burrowing mammal
Small rodent
Appearance
Cylindrical body, large paws, tiny eyes
Stout body, short tail, blunt snout
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Habitat
Lives underground in complex tunnel systems
Creates surface runways, shallow burrows
Diet
Insects, earthworms, invertebrates
Roots, bulbs, stems of plants
Behavior
Solitary, digs deep tunnels
Social, lives in colonies
Compare with Definitions
Mole
Burrowing mammal.
The mole dug through the garden soil.
Vole
Small rodent.
The vole scurried across the lawn.
Mole
Insectivore.
Moles help control insect populations.
Vole
Plant feeder.
Voles damaged the garden by eating roots.
Mole
Solitary animal.
Each mole has its own tunnel system.
Vole
Social animal.
Voles often live in colonies.
Mole
A small burrowing mammal with dark velvety fur, a long muzzle, and very small eyes, feeding mainly on worms, grubs, and other invertebrates.
Vole
Surface runner.
Voles create visible runways in the grass.
Mole
A spy who gradually achieves an important position within the security defences of a country
A well-placed mole was feeding them the names of operatives
Vole
Voles are small rodents that are relatives of lemmings and hamsters, but with a stouter body; a shorter, hairy tail; a slightly rounder head; smaller ears and eyes; and differently formed molars (high-crowned with angular cusps instead of low-crowned with rounded cusps). They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America.
Mole
A small, often slightly raised blemish on the skin made dark by a high concentration of melanin
A mole on her arm had not been there at the beginning of the summer
Vole
Any of various rodents of the genus Microtus and related genera, found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere and having a short muzzle and tail and small ears.
Mole
A large solid structure on a shore serving as a pier, breakwater, or causeway.
Vole
The winning of all the tricks during the play of one hand, as of bridge; a grand slam.
Mole
The SI unit of amount of substance, equal to the quantity containing as many elementary units as there are atoms in 0.012 kg of carbon-12.
Vole
Any of a large number of species of small rodents of the subfamily Arvicolinae of the family Cricetidae which are not lemmings or muskrats.
Mole
An abnormal mass of tissue in the uterus.
Vole
A deal in a card game, écarté, that draws all the tricks.
Mole
A highly spiced Mexican sauce made chiefly from chilli peppers and chocolate, served with meat.
Vole
To win all the tricks by a vole.
Mole
A skin lesion, commonly a nevus, that is typically raised and discolored.
Vole
A deal at cards that draws all the tricks.
Mole
Any of various small insectivorous mammals of the family Talpidae of North America and Eurasia, usually living underground and having a thickset body with light brown to dark gray silky fur, strong forefeet for burrowing, and often rudimentary eyes.
Vole
Any one of numerous species of micelike rodents belonging to Arvicola and allied genera of the subfamily Arvicolinæ. They have a thick head, short ears, and a short hairy tail.
Mole
A machine that bores through hard surfaces, used especially for tunneling through rock.
Vole
To win all the tricks by a vole.
Mole
A spy who operates from within an organization, especially a double agent operating against that agent's own government from within its intelligence establishment.
Vole
Any of various small mouselike rodents of the family Cricetidae (especially of genus Microtus) having a stout short-tailed body and inconspicuous ears and inhabiting fields or meadows
Mole
A massive, usually stone wall constructed in the sea, used as a breakwater and built to enclose or protect an anchorage or a harbor.
Vole
Short-tailed.
The vole’s short tail distinguishes it from mice.
Mole
The anchorage or harbor enclosed by a mole.
Mole
A fleshy abnormal mass formed in the uterus by the degeneration or abortive development of an ovum.
Mole
In the International System, the base unit used in representing an amount of a substance, equal to the amount of that substance that contains as many atoms, molecules, ions, or other elementary units as the number of atoms in 0.012 kilogram of carbon-12. The number is 6.0221 × 1023, or Avogadro's number. See Table at measurement.
Mole
A pigmented spot on the skin, a naevus, slightly raised, and sometimes hairy.
Mole
Any of several small, burrowing insectivores of the family Talpidae; also any of southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae (golden moles) and any of several Australian mammals in the family Notoryctidae (marsupial moles), similar to but not closely related to Talpidae moles
Mole
Any of the burrowing rodents also called mole-rats.
Mole
(espionage) An internal spy, a person who involves himself or herself with an enemy organisation, especially an intelligence or governmental organisation, to determine and betray its secrets from within.
Mole
A kind of self-propelled excavator used to form underground drains, or to clear underground pipelines
Mole
A type of underground drain used in farm fields, in which a mole plow creates an unlined channel through clay subsoil.
Mole
A moll, a bitch, a slut.
Mole
(nautical) A massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater or junction between places separated by water.
Mole
(rare) A haven or harbour, protected with such a breakwater.
Mole
(historical) An Ancient Roman mausoleum.
Mole
In the International System of Units, the base unit of amount of substance; the amount of substance of a system which contains exactly 6.02214076×1023 elementary entities (atoms, ions, molecules, etc.). Symbol: mol. The number of atoms is known as Avogadro’s number. from 1897
Mole
A hemorrhagic mass of tissue in the uterus caused by a dead ovum.
Mole
One of several spicy sauces typical of the cuisine of Mexico and neighboring Central America, especially a sauce which contains chocolate and which is used in cooking main dishes, not desserts.
Mole
A spot; a stain; a mark which discolors or disfigures.
Mole
A spot, mark, or small permanent protuberance on the human body; esp., a spot which is dark-colored, from which commonly issue one or more hairs.
Mole
A mass of fleshy or other more or less solid matter generated in the uterus.
Mole
A mound or massive work formed of masonry or large stones, etc., laid in the sea, often extended either in a right line or an arc of a circle before a port which it serves to defend from the violence of the waves, thus protecting ships in a harbor; also, sometimes, the harbor itself.
Mole
Any insectivore of the family Talpidæ. They have minute eyes and ears, soft fur, and very large and strong fore feet.
Mole
A plow of peculiar construction, for forming underground drains.
Mole
A spy who lives for years an apparently normal life (to establish a cover) before beginning his spying activities.
Mole
A quantity of a substance equal to the molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; a gram molecule; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the System International d'Unites; as, he added two moles of sodium chloride to the medium.
Mole
To form holes in, as a mole; to burrow; to excavate; as, to mole the earth.
Mole
To clear of molehills.
Mole
The molecular weight of a substance expressed in grams; the basic unit of amount of substance adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
Mole
A spy who works against enemy espionage
Mole
Spicy sauce often containing chocolate
Mole
A small congenital pigmented spot on the skin
Mole
A protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away
Mole
Small velvety-furred burrowing mammal having small eyes and fossorial forefeet
Mole
Tunnel builder.
The yard was dotted with mole hills.
Mole
Soil aerator.
The mole’s digging improves soil aeration.
Common Curiosities
What do voles eat?
Voles feed on roots, bulbs, and stems of plants.
Do moles and voles live underground?
Moles live primarily underground, whereas voles create shallow burrows and surface runways.
What is a vole?
A vole is a small rodent that feeds on plant roots and often causes damage to gardens.
What do moles eat?
Moles eat insects, earthworms, and other invertebrates found in the soil.
Are moles beneficial to gardens?
Moles can be beneficial as they aerate the soil and control insect populations.
How can you identify a mole’s presence?
Moles create noticeable mounds and ridges in the soil from their tunneling.
How can you identify a vole’s presence?
Voles leave small holes and visible runways on the surface near plants.
Do voles live in colonies?
Yes, voles are social and often live in colonies.
What is a mole?
A mole is a small, burrowing mammal that feeds on insects and lives underground.
Do moles live in colonies?
No, moles are solitary animals.
What is the main difference in appearance between moles and voles?
Moles have large paws and tiny eyes, while voles have a stout body, short tail, and blunt snout.
How do moles and voles affect the environment differently?
Moles aerate soil and control insects, while voles can damage plants by feeding on roots and stems.
Are voles harmful to gardens?
Yes, voles can cause significant damage by eating plant roots and stems.
Can moles be seen above ground?
Moles rarely come to the surface and primarily stay underground.
Can voles be seen above ground?
Yes, voles are often seen running above ground and creating surface runways.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
