What Animal Is Digging Holes in My Arkansas Yard? (Identification Guide)

What Animal Is Digging Holes in My Arkansas Yard?

Arkansas's hot, humid climate and its heavily forested landscape — from the Ozark and Ouachita mountains to the bottomland hardwood forests of the Delta — make it excellent habitat for digging wildlife. Year-round warmth and moisture keep grubs, earthworms, and insects near the soil surface, which is exactly what armadillos, moles, skunks, and raccoons search for when they tear up your lawn.

Because this is the northern edge of the nine-banded armadillo's core range, the armadillo has become the poster child for mysterious lawn damage across the state. But before you blame one species, look carefully at the hole size, shape, and the presence of mounds, tunnels, or scat. This guide walks you through the six most common Arkansas diggers using guidance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) and the University of Arkansas (U of A) Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension.

Identification Table: What's Digging in Your Yard

Nine-Banded Armadillo — The Star of the Show

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the most distinctive and, increasingly, the most common cause of yard damage across the southern and central counties of Arkansas. Unlike secretive diggers, an armadillo is a noisy, heavy rooter. At night and around dawn it pushes its snout along the surface, using its strong front claws to tear through the top few inches of soil in search of grubs, beetles, and earthworms.

Armadillo Damage Identification

• Pattern: Shallow, scattered 1-3 inch rooting pits mixed with occasional 2-4 inch cone holes — the lawn looks freshly plowed across a wide area.
• No mounds: Unlike moles, armadillos rarely leave soil piles; displaced soil is scattered loosely back over the surface.
• Timing: Night-time activity; damage often appears overnight and may be concentrated after rain when worms come near the surface.
• Sign: Deep claw drag marks and, rarely, 5-toe tracks with obvious claws.

Left to feed: A single armadillo can disturb hundreds of square feet in one night. Burrows (2-4 feet deep, with a 6-8 inch entrance) are dug under foundations, decks, and brush piles, and can undermine concrete pads. In recent decades rising temperatures and milder winters have allowed armadillos to expand steadily northward, and they are now well established in northern Arkansas, including foothills of the Ozarks — a species that was largely unknown statewide a generation ago.

Eastern Mole — Tunnels and Volcano Mounds

The eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) is Arkansas's most damaging lawn pest in the insect-eater category. These solitary, nearly blind animals tunnel just beneath the surface hunting earthworms, grubs, and insects — the carbohydrates of a Southern lawn are not the target; the bugs that live there are.

Mole Damage Identification

• Surface ridges: Raised, winding tunnels running under the grass like a series of firm ridges.
• Volcano mounds: Push-up mounds of soil (6-12 inches across) at tunnel exits, with no visible entrance hole.
• Tell-tale sign: Step on a mole run and it flattens but you are not sucked in — this distinguishes firm mole tunnels from the larger, collapsing runways of voles.

Moles are active year-round in Arkansas's mild, moist climate. Because they eat pest grubs, some homeowners tolerate a few runs — but heavy tunneling and mounding quickly ruin lawns, and mole activity peaks in spring after heavy rains and again in fall.

Striped Skunk — Small Cone Pits for Grubs

Striped skunks are excellent grub-hunters and leave behind one of the easiest damage patterns to identify: small, conical holes (1-2 inches) punched into moist sod, often in clusters, with the turf edges cleanly cut. Skunks are nocturnal and the damage typically appears overnight.

Skunk Damage Identification

• Cone-shaped pits: 1-2 inch holes about the diameter of a golf ball, dug for white grubs.
• Peeled turf: Occasionally skunks flip back small patches of sod rather than digging holes.
• Odor: A faint, lingering musky scent, or a den under a deck, porch, or shed.

Skunk damage is cosmetic and usually tied to a grub infestation. Controlling grubs can dramatically reduce skunk visits. Skunks will also dig dens under structures, which raises odor and rabies-exposure concerns, so repeated activity near foundations warrants professional help.

Raccoon — Torn-Up Turf on Wet Nights

Raccoons are clever opportunists found throughout Arkansas, from downtown Little Rock to rural timber. When hunting earthworms and beetle grubs, they roll back huge sections of turf with their nimble front paws, leaving the lawn looking as if someone lifted the sod with a shovel and flipped it over.

Raccoon Damage Identification

• Flipped sod: Large, irregular patches of grass rolled back, often matted or damaged at the edges.
• Moisture tied: Damage intensifies during warm, wet spring and fall nights when worms surface.
• Scat & tracks: Distinctive hand-like tracks and tubular scat near the damage, garden, or garage.

In Arkansas raccoons are classified as furbearers by the AGFC, so trapping seasons and regulations apply if you plan to manage them yourself. Their attraction to garbage, pet food, and bird seed can amplify repeated turf damage across a neighborhood.

Eastern Chipmunk — Neat Holes With a Soil Plug

Eastern chipmunks are active, cute victims of misidentification — but when abundant they dig tidy, round 2-inch burrow entrances, typically under a rock wall, log pile, or foundation edge, complete with a small crescent of fresh soil at the lip. Unlike the chaotic armadillo damage, chipmunk holes are singular and neat.

Chipmunk Damage Identification

• Entrance holes: Clean, smooth 2-inch openings, usually at a structural edge rather than mid-lawn.
• Soil plug: A small, fan-shaped pile of excavated soil at the mouth.
• Hull scatter: Piles of empty sunflower or seed hulls near the burrow from feeding caches.

Chipmunks feed on seeds, berries, and insects and are not protected in Arkansas. Problems are usually cosmetic and structural-edge based; exclude them by sealing gaps and clearing brush piles that hide their midday travel.

Woodchuck (Groundhog) — One Large Den Hole

Woodchucks (Marmota monax) are common in Arkansas's field edges, fencerows, and woodlots. If you find one substantial 6-8 inch den hole with a crescent of fresh, excavated dirt in front and well-worn trails between it and the garden, a groundhog is your likely culprit — especially in spring and summer when they are feeding heavily on garden vegetables.

Groundhog Damage Identification

• Large single hole: 6-8 inches wide with an obvious dirt apron.
• Den companion: Often a second, smaller escape hole a short distance away.
• Grazing sign: Clipped plants, eaten garden crops, and worn trails.

Groundhogs are most active at dawn and dusk and hibernate through part of the colder months. Their burrows can undermine sheds, patios, and the foundations of outbuildings, so a settled or collapsing den warrants prompt professional assessment.

Seasonal Digging Patterns in Arkansas

5-Step Plan to Handle Arkansas Digging Damage

1. Identify the culprit first. Match the hole size, shape, and presence of mounds to the identification table above before taking action. Treating for the wrong species wastes time and money.
2. Remove the attractant. Reduce grubs and insects in the soil, secure garbage cans, remove pet food and bird feeders at dusk, and eliminate brush piles and woodpiles that provide cover.
3. Exclude and seal. Install fencing or hardware cloth that extends 12 inches below ground, seal gaps under decks, porches, sheds, and foundations, and tamp down existing holes only after you are sure the animal has vacated.
4. Use legal, targeted control. Check AGFC rules before trapping. Armadillos are not protected and can be taken year-round, while skunks and raccoons are furbearers with regulated seasons. Repellents and habitat modification work for moles but often require persistence.
5. Call a licensed professional. For denning under foundations, repeated raccoon or skunk activity, or any animal that seems sick or disoriented (possible rabies), contact a professional Arkansas wildlife removal service rather than attempting removal yourself.

Arkansas Laws and Regulations

Regulations in Arkansas are set by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension providing research-based control guidance.

Armadillo

The nine-banded armadillo is not protected in Arkansas and is managed as an unclassified species. Under longstanding AGFC rules it may be taken year-round on your own property; however, any hunting beyond immediate nuisance situations may require a valid small-game hunting license and should always follow current AGFC guidance. Because armadillos are expanding northward, always confirm the latest rules before acting.

Skunk and Raccoon

Striped skunks and raccoons are classified as furbearers by the AGFC. Nuisance animals causing damage on your own property may be managed, but trapping generally falls under furbearer seasons and licensing. Check current AGFC regulations for limits, seasons, and permit requirements.

Mole and Chipmunk

The eastern mole and eastern chipmunk are not protected in Arkansas and can be managed as nuisance wildlife on your property without a permit.

Always verify current rules

Wildlife rules change. Before trapping or hunting any species, consult the current Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulation digest or contact your local AGFC office.

FAQ: What Animal Is Digging in My Arkansas Yard?

What is digging small cone-shaped holes in my lawn overnight?

Small, cone-shaped 1-2 inch holes dug overnight are almost always from striped skunks or, in some cases, raccoons hunting for white grubs. If the lawn looks 'plowed' with wide scattered scrapes instead, it is more likely a nine-banded armadillo.

How do I tell an armadillo hole from a mole hole?

Armadillos leave shallow, cone-shaped 2-4 inch holes and broad scraped, churned patches with no raised mound. Moles leave raised surface tunnels (firm ridges you can step on) and 6-12 inch volcano mounds at tunnel exits. Armadillo damage is open and scattered; mole damage is ridged and tunneled.

Are armadillos protected in Arkansas?

No. The nine-banded armadillo is not protected by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and may be taken on your own property under longstanding rules. Confirm the current season and license requirements, and note their range is expanding northward across the state.

What is digging a 6-8 inch hole in my yard?

A single 6-8 inch den hole with a crescent of fresh dirt is most likely a woodchuck (groundhog). If you find several neat 2-inch holes at a wall or foundation edge, those are eastern chipmunk burrows.

Will grub control stop the digging?

Reducing white grub populations helps with skunk and frequently armadillo damage, because both feed on grubs. Mole and chipmunk damage is less tied to grubs, and raccoons dig heavily for earthworms, so grub control alone will not eliminate every digger.

Can I trap the animal myself?

In Arkansas, skunks and raccoons are furbearers with regulated seasons, while armadillos, moles, and chipmunks are not protected. Before trapping any animal, confirm current AGFC rules, and for raccoons, skunks near your home, or denning under structures, it is safest to hire a licensed professional.

Professional Wildlife Removal in Arkansas

If you need professional wildlife removal or pest control services in Arkansas, our local guides cover the following cities:

• Little Rock, AR — Wildlife & Pest Control Guide
• Fort Smith, AR — Wildlife & Pest Control Guide
• Fayetteville, AR — Wildlife & Pest Control Guide
• Jonesboro, AR — Wildlife & Pest Control Guide

For cost guidance on professional animal removal, see our Wildlife Removal Cost Guide (2026).

Sources: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension, US Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Wildlife Services, CDC. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional wildlife management advice.