Arend’s Golden Mole vs small tortoiseshell

Carpitalpa arendsi compared with Aglais urticae

Key Differences

• Arend’s Golden Mole is Vulnerable while small tortoiseshell is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arend’s Golden Mole	small tortoiseshell
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Genus	Carpitalpa	Aglais
Species	Carpitalpa arendsi	Aglais urticae

Evolutionary Relationship

Arend’s Golden Mole and small tortoiseshell share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Arend’s Golden Mole

VU — Vulnerable

small tortoiseshell

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arend’s Golden Mole	small tortoiseshell
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arend’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

small tortoiseshell

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (41 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

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.

small tortoiseshell

small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.