Highveld Golden Mole vs

Amblysomus septentrionalis compared with Usnea cornuta

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Highveld Golden Mole
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Parmeliaceae
Genus	Amblysomus	Usnea
Species	Amblysomus septentrionalis	Usnea cornuta

Conservation Status

Highveld Golden Mole

NT — Near Threatened

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Highveld Golden Mole
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Highveld Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Usnea cornuta is a fruticose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae, assessed as Near Threatened (NT). It forms shrubby, branching thalli that hang from tree branches and twigs, typically in humid forest environments. Like all Usnea species, it is highly sensitive to air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide, making it a useful bioindicator of air quality.