Arend’s Golden Mole vs Clouded Agaric

Carpitalpa arendsi compared with Clitocybe nebularis

Key Differences

• Arend’s Golden Mole is Vulnerable while Clouded Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arend’s Golden Mole	Clouded Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Tricholomataceae
Genus	Carpitalpa	Clitocybe
Species	Carpitalpa arendsi	Clitocybe nebularis

Conservation Status

Arend’s Golden Mole

VU — Vulnerable

Clouded Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arend’s Golden Mole	Clouded Agaric
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arend’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Clouded Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, and United States.

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.

Clouded Agaric

The clouded agaric (Clitocybe nebularis, syn. Lepista nebularis) is a large, robust saprotrophic mushroom in the family Tricholomataceae found across temperate broadleaved and mixed forests of Europe and North America. It produces pale grey to buff fruiting bodies with broad, wavy caps up to 20 cm diameter, crowded, slightly decurrent gills, and a stout stipe, typically emerging in large fairy rings or scattered groups in autumn woodland settings. The common name 'clouded' refers to the greyish, misty coloration of the cap surface. Though historically eaten in parts of Europe and considered edible when thoroughly cooked, C. nebularis is now known to contain toxic compounds and a heat-labile gastrointestinal toxin that causes illness in some individuals, and it is associated with documented poisoning cases. Its strong mealy odor is distinctive. The species is widespread and common across European deciduous forests, fruiting reliably in autumn and forming an important component of the saprotrophic fungal community responsible for decomposing accumulated leaf litter and organic matter in temperate forest ecosystems.