Arend’s Golden Mole vs Basking shark

Carpitalpa arendsi compared with Rhincodon typus

Key Differences

Arend’s Golden Mole is Vulnerable while Basking shark is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arend’s Golden Mole	Basking shark
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fish)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Rhincodontidae (Whale Sharks)
Genus	Carpitalpa	Rhincodon (Whale Sharks)
Species	Carpitalpa arendsi	Rhincodon typus

Evolutionary Relationship

Arend’s Golden Mole and Basking shark share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Arend’s Golden Mole

VU — Vulnerable

Basking shark

EN — Endangered

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arend’s Golden Mole	Basking shark
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	100 years
Average Length	—	12.0 m
Average Weight	—	20.0 t

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arend’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Basking shark

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate grasslands and steppes, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 5 distinct biome types within the Neotropic biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Chile, Portugal, Taiwan, and Venezuela. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Arend’s Golden Mole

The Arend’s Golden Mole (Carpitalpa arendsi) is a species in the genus Carpitalpa. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Basking shark

The world's largest fish, whale sharks can exceed 12 meters and 20 tonnes, inhabiting tropical and warm temperate oceans worldwide. Despite their massive size, they are harmless filter feeders, consuming plankton, fish eggs, and small fish by swimming open-mouthed through prey-dense water. They undertake vast seasonal migrations following plankton blooms. Endangered due to fishing, boat strikes, and the live fin trade, with population declining by approximately 50% over the past 75 years.