Balkan Mole vs Shade Moonwort

Talpa stankovici compared with Botrychium tenebrosum

Key Differences

• Balkan Mole is Least Concern while Shade Moonwort is Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Balkan Mole	Shade Moonwort
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Plantae (Plants)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Tracheophyta
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Polypodiopsida (Polypodiopsida)
Order	Soricomorpha (Soricomorpha)	Ophioglossales (Ophioglossales)
Family	Talpidae	Ophioglossaceae
Genus	Talpa	Botrychium
Species	Talpa stankovici	Botrychium tenebrosum

Conservation Status

Balkan Mole

LC — Least Concern

Shade Moonwort

EN — Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Balkan Mole	Shade Moonwort
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Balkan Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Shade Moonwort

Habitat

Inhabits boreal forests and taiga within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

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.