Ognev's mole | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Eulipotyphla |
Family: | Talpidae |
Genus: | Talpa |
Species: | T. ognevi
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Binomial name | |
Talpa ognevi Stroganov 1944
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Ognev's mole distribution | |
Synonyms | |
Talpa caucasica ognevi |
Ognev's mole (Talpa ognevi) is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae.[1] It occurs in the southeastern coastal area of the Black Sea from northeastern Turkey to Georgia. It inhabits different habitats associated with moist soils in lowland areas. Little information is available about its life history.
Externally, Ognev's mole resembles the Caucasian mole (T. caucasica), which occurs further north, but is larger and has more robust teeth. It was scientifically named in 1944, but for a time it was considered a subspecies of T. caucasica. However, genetic analysis found major differences, and in 2018 Ognev's mole was recognized as an independent species. No data has yet been collected on the status of the population.