Balkan Mole vs Cleft Bramble

Talpa stankovici compared with Rubus fissus

Key Differences

Balkan Mole is Least Concern while Cleft Bramble is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Mole	Cleft Bramble
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Rosales (Roses & Allies)
Family	Talpidae	Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Genus	Talpa	Rubus
Species	Talpa stankovici	Rubus fissus

Conservation Status

Balkan Mole

LC — Least Concern

Cleft Bramble

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Mole	Cleft Bramble
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Cleft Bramble

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Balkan Mole

The Balkan Mole (Talpa stankovici) is a species in the genus Talpa. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Like other members of its genus, this species plays a role in its native ecosystem.

Cleft Bramble

The Cleft Bramble, Rubus laciniatus, known also as the Cutleaf or Evergreen Blackberry, is a vigorous, thorny shrub in the family Rosaceae native to central and southeastern Europe, from the Balkans through to southwestern Asia. It is widely naturalized in western North America, southern Australia, New Zealand, and other temperate regions where it was introduced as a garden plant or for erosion control. The distinctive deeply divided, laciniate leaves with finely cut leaflets distinguish it from other brambles. Like other Rubus species, it produces edible black fruits relished by birds and mammals, making it an important food plant for wildlife, but its vigorous growth and ability to root from stem tips make it an aggressive colonizer and a serious invasive species in many regions outside its native range. In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Rubus laciniatus forms dense, impenetrable thickets that displace native vegetation and reduce biodiversity. Control is difficult given its extensive root system and the ability of fragments to regenerate. The species is listed as a noxious weed in several US states and Australian states. In its native European range, Cleft Bramble is not threatened and occurs in woodland edges, hedgerows, and scrubby habitats.