Hello Cynthia,

There are several animals that burrow into the ground in your region:

Chipmunks - silver dollar sized holes

Voles 1-2 Inch holes hidden under mulch or plant leaves

Skunks – 4-6 inch wide holes and generally under cover; used mostly in winter and spring to shelter young

Ground hogs – generally 10-12 inches wide and surrounded by crescent shaped piles

Raccoons – 3-4 inches and cone shaped

Moles – produce raised tunnels or mounds of dirt

Rats – 3-4 inches in diameter with loose dirt outside

None of these match your description.

Squirrels do not create burrows, but they do create holes. Their digging is usually only approximately two inches in diameter though. They will uproot plants and are opportunists – they look to dig in areas of freshly disturbed soil.

So, to answer your question, I don’t know. Pictures might help. Also, answers to some questions could lead to a more definitive identification. Do the holes appear overnight or during the day? Are they truly burrows and tunnels or just shallow holes? Is there faint odor of skunk in the area? How many holes are there? Any night when rain is not expected, you can dust the area around the holes with flour and look for footprints that might be identifiable.