Arend’s Golden Mole vs Fly Agaric

Carpitalpa arendsi compared with Amanita muscaria

Key Differences

• Arend’s Golden Mole is Vulnerable while Fly Agaric is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Arend’s Golden Mole	Fly Agaric
Kingdom	Animalia (animal)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Agaricomycetes (Mushrooms)
Order	Afrosoricida (Afrosoricida)	Agaricales (Gilled Mushrooms)
Family	Chrysochloridae	Agaricaceae (Agarics)
Genus	Carpitalpa	Amanita (Amanitas)
Species	Carpitalpa arendsi	Amanita muscaria

Conservation Status

Arend’s Golden Mole

VU — Vulnerable

Fly Agaric

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Arend’s Golden Mole	Fly Agaric
Diet	—	Decomposer
Average Lifespan	—	1 years
Average Length	—	20 cm
Average Weight	—	100 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Arend’s Golden Mole

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Fly Agaric

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (4 countries), North America (United States), Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand), and South America (Brazil, Chile, Colombia).

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.

Fly Agaric

Among the most iconic and recognizable fungi on Earth, fly agaric mushrooms display striking red caps with white flecked warts across boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their fairy-tale appearance, they contain potent psychoactive compounds including muscimol and ibotenic acid and are moderately toxic. They form critical mycorrhizal symbioses with birch, pine, and spruce trees, exchanging mineral nutrients for carbon and playing essential roles in boreal forest nutrient cycling.