Description

"The largest moles in North America, weighing in at 100—171 g, Townsend's Moles live only in the lowlands on the western side of the Cascade Mountains, from northwestern California to extreme southwestern British Columbia. One population occurs in alpine meadows in the Olympic Mountains of Washington. The fur of this species is particularly soft and velvety and was once used commercially. Townsend's Moles excavate permanent deep, extensive tunnels as well as temporary ones on the surface. These excavations result in large mounds; as many as 805 mounds per hectare have been reported."

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account