Arend’s Golden Mole vs Collared Mosscap

Carpitalpa arendsi compared with Rickenella swartzii

Key Differences

• Arend’s Golden Mole is Vulnerable while Collared Mosscap is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arend’s Golden Mole	Collared Mosscap
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Hymenochaetales (Hymenochaetales)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Rickenellaceae
Genus	Carpitalpa	Rickenella
Species	Carpitalpa arendsi	Rickenella swartzii

Conservation Status

Arend’s Golden Mole

VU — Vulnerable

Collared Mosscap

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arend’s Golden Mole	Collared Mosscap
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arend’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Collared Mosscap

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

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.

Collared Mosscap

The Collared Mosscap, known scientifically as <em>Rickenella swartzii</em>, is a small fungus belonging to the family Repetobasidiaceae within the order Agaricales. <em>Rickenella swartzii</em> is characterised by its diminutive fruiting bodies, which typically feature a small, convex to umbilicate cap and a slender stipe. The species typically grows in mossy substrates, on forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil, where it plays a role in nutrient cycling as a saprotrophic or potentially mycorrhizal organism. It is reported to occur in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, reflecting a distribution across parts of northern Europe. Detailed biological traits including typical lifespan measures and physical dimensions are poorly documented for this fungal species in available literature. The Collared Mosscap is currently assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that it is not considered to be at significant risk of global population decline.