A SHOW OF HANDS - TOWNSEND'S MOLE

A Show of Hands
10 x 13 in.
I think the title is apt, as they make their living, so to speak, with their paws.

I took these two photos this morning. Yup, we have moles in the yard.

Here is my dog, Maggie, a year and a half ago. I read that this particular mole has few natural predators ... except Maggie. Needless to say, I was upset.

Pigments for fur - quin. burnt orange, quin. violet, indanthrone
Pigments for paws and muzzle - quin. sienna, quin. pink, indanthrone
Grass - quin. gold, phthalo green, quin. burnt orange, indanthrone

Meet my next endangered species - Townsend's mole. They live almost everywhere here, and are considered endangered in British Columbia.  I believe their endangered status is attributable to their low rate of reproductivity. They navigate underground, about 10 - 20 cm. under, by their whiskers. They are able to detect light, but not images. As well, they have sensitive hearing and touch. They are solitary and territorial. I am happy to say, they are next to impossible to trap. I remember my landlord [who golfed, and loved a pristine front lawn] trying all sorts of gimmicks to get rid of the moles - from smoke "bombs" and traps, to setting those little hand-sized wind-mills on sticks [the vibrations were supposed to bother the moles] But they are still here :)
Thank you for visiting!