Cape golden mole vs Gharial

Chrysochloris asiatica compared with Gavialis gangeticus

Key Differences

Cape golden mole is Least Concern while Gharial is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Cape golden mole	Gharial
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Reptilia (Reptiles)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Crocodylia (Crocodilians)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Crocodylidae (Crocodiles)
Genus	Chrysochloris	Crocodylus (True Crocodiles)
Species	Chrysochloris asiatica	Gavialis gangeticus

Evolutionary Relationship

Cape golden mole and Gharial share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

View Phylum: Chordata

Conservation Status

Cape golden mole

LC — Least Concern

Gharial

CR — Critically Endangered

Population: ~650

Trend: Increasing ↑

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Cape golden mole	Gharial
Diet	—	Carnivore
Average Lifespan	—	60 years
Average Length	—	5.0 m
Average Weight	—	200.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Cape golden mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Gharial

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 6 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Distributed across India and Nepal. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Cape golden mole

The Cape golden mole (Chrysochloris asiatica) is a species in the genus Chrysochloris. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.