The Talysch mole (''Talpa talyschensis'') is a species of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

in the family

Talpidae The family Talpidae () includes the moles (some of whom are called shrew moles and desmans) who are small insectivorous mammals of the order Eulipotyphla. Talpids are all digging animals to various degrees: moles are completely subterranean a ...

. It is a small member of the family, which outwardly resembles the

Levant mole The Levant mole (''Talpa levantis'') is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It is found in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Turkey. There are two subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species ...

(''T. levantis''), but is genetically closer to

Père David's mole Père David's mole (''Talpa davidiana'') is a mole found in the Middle East, ranging from south-central Turkey east to Kurdistan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country ...

(''T. davidiana''). It is common on the southwest coast of the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...

, from southern of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

through most of the north of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. The habitat includes

temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American Paci ...

s and scrub areas. There is little information about the life history of the Talysch mole. It was described in 1945, but had long been considered a subspecies of various other Eurasian moles, and was only recognized as a distinct species in the mid-2010s. No surveys have been carried out to quantify the status of the species.

Taxonomy

The Talysch mole is a species of the genus ''

Talpa Talpa may refer to: Places * Talpa, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran * Talpa, Teleorman, a commune in Teleorman County, Romania * Talpa, a village in Cândeşti Commune, Botoşani County, Romania * Talpa, a village in Bârgăuani Commun ...

'', which contains Eurasian moles. The genus includes around a dozen other members, including the

European mole The European mole (''Talpa europaea'') is a mammal of the order Eulipotyphla. It is also known as the common mole and the northern mole. This mole lives in a tunnel system, which it constantly extends. It uses these tunnels to hunt its prey. Un ...

(''Talpa europaea'') as its most famous representative. The Eurasian moles belong to the

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

of true moles (

Talpini Talpini is a tribe of mammals known as Old World Moles. It is a division of the subfamily Talpinae. This tribe contains the following genera and species: * Tribe Talpini ** Genus '' Euroscaptor'' *** Greater Chinese mole, ''E. grandis'' ** ...

) and the

mole Mole (or Molé) may refer to: Animals * Mole (animal) or "true mole", mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America * Golden moles, southern African mammals in the family Chrysochloridae, similar to but unrelated to Talpida ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

(Talpidae). The true moles in turn include the mostly burrowing forms of the moles, while other members of the family only partially live underground, move above ground or have a semi-aquatic way of life. The first scientific description of the Talysch mole was provided by Nikolai Kusmitsch Vereschtschagin in 1945. He used the name ''Talpa orientalis talyschensis'', seeing it as a subspecies of ''Talpa orientalis'', a species that is now counted as synonymous with the

Caucasian mole The Caucasian mole (''Talpa caucasica'') is a mammal in the family Talpidae that is endemic to the Caucasus Mountains of Russia and Georgia. Ognev's mole Ognev's mole (''Talpa ognevi'') is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae. It occ ...

(''T. caucasica''). The

lectotype In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...

consists of a skull of an adult male. The type locality is in the south of Azerbaijan in the

Talysh Mountains Talysh Mountains ( tly, Tolışə Bandon, script=Latn, fa, کوه‌های تالش, Kuhhâye Tâleš; az, Talış dağları) is a mountain range in far southeastern Azerbaijan and far northwestern Iran within Ardabil Province and Gilan Provin ...

around

Masallı Masallı () is a city in and the capital of the Masally District of Azerbaijan. History Masally city was established in 1960. The name of the city comes from the name of a tribe – “Masal” that lived in the territory of Masally in ancient ...

.Research Collections of the Zoological Institute RAS – Mammals, retrieved 15 May 2010. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Talysch mole was sometimes also considered a variant of the

blind mole The blind mole (''Talpa caeca''), also known as the Mediterranean mole, is a mole found in the Mediterranean region. It is similar to the European mole, differing most prominently in having eyes covered with skin. It is found in Albania, France, ...

(''Talpa caeca'').Ivo Grulich: ''Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der ostmediterranen kleinwüchsigen, blinden Maulwurfsformen (Talpinae).'' Zoologické listy 21, 1972, S. 3–21 () However, the close external resemblance to the

(''Talpa levantis''), along with a matching karyotype, led the Talysch mole to be recognized as the eastern subspecies of the Levant mole by the end of the 20th century, despite both taxa being widely separated in range. The main differences between the two species are the details of the tooth design.Boris Kryštufek: ''The distribution of the Levant Mole, Talpa levantis.'' Zoology in the Middle East 23 (1), 2001, S. 17–21 Some scientists, however, questioned the close connection between the Talysch and Levantine moles based on anatomical data.М. В. Зайцев: ''Вопросы диагностики и систематики кротов Кавказа (Insectivora, Talpidae, Talpa).'' Зоологический Журнал 78 (6), 1999, S. 718–731 This view was supported by molecular genetic studies from 2015. This study found a closer relationship to the

, which occurs further south. Both species diverged at the end of the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

to the Pliocene. As a result, the Talysch mole was recognized as an independent species, which was also confirmed by the eighth volume of the standard work ''

Handbook of the Mammals of the World ''Handbook of the Mammals of the World'' (''HMW'') is a book series from the publisher Lynx Edicions. The nine volumes were published from 2009 to 2019. Each mammal family is assessed in a full text introduction with photographs and each species h ...

'' in 2018.

Distribution

The distribution area of the Talysch mole includes the southwestern coastal areas of the

. The northern limit of the occurrence is reached in the region around

Lankaran Lankaran ( az, Lənkəran, ) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near the southern border with Iran. As of 2021, the city had a population of 89,300. It is next to, but independent of, Lankaran District. The city forms a dis ...

in southern Azerbaijan, the southern limit is found near Chalus in northern

. This species is restricted to the

Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests The Hyrcanian forests ( fa, جنگل های هیرکانی) are a zone of lush lowland and montane forests covering about adjoining the shores of the Caspian Sea of Iran and part of that of Azerbaijan. The forest is named after the ancient reg ...

, which stretch across the

Talysh Talysh may refer to: *Talysh people * History of Talysh *Talysh language *Talysh Khanate, in existence from 1747 to 1828 *Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, a self-declared autonomy, which existed briefly in the south of Azerbaijan in 1993 *Talysh ...

and

Alborz Mountains The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs nort ...

and consist of

s and

boxwood ''Buxus'' is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South ...

thickets with a large amounts of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

. The altitude distribution ranges from sea level to around 300 m.S. Naderi, A. Mirzajani, H. Rajabi Maham und E. Hadipour: ''The mammals of Anzali Wetland in the Southern Caspian Sea.'' Caspian Journal of Environmental Science 15 (3), 2017, S. 223–235

Characteristics

Description

The Talysh mole is a small member of the genus ''Talpa''. Its head-trunk length is 10.4 to 11.4 cm, the tail length 2.0 to 2.5 cm and the weight 31 to 49 g. The

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

is only slightly pronounced. In body dimensions, the Talysh mole is comparable to the

. Like all Eurasian moles, it is characterized by a cylindrical and sturdy body, the neck is short and the forefeet resembles grave digging. The fur has a dark gray to blackish color. The eyes remain hidden under the skin. The rear foot length is 1.6 to 1.7 cm.М. В. Зайцев, Л. Л. Войта und Б. И. Шефтель: ''Млекопитающие фауны России и сопредельных территорий. Насекомоядные.'' Санкт-Петербург, 2014, S. 1–390 (S. 150–152)

Features of skull and teeth

The skull is 31.1 mm long on average, and the cranium is 15.0 mm wide and 8.7 mm high. The

rostrum Rostrum may refer to: * Any kind of a platform for a speaker: **dais **pulpit * Rostrum (anatomy), a beak, or anatomical structure resembling a beak, as in the mouthparts of many sucking insects * Rostrum (ship), a form of bow on naval ships * Ros ...

is 8.3 mm wide at the base and narrows to 4.3 mm towards the front. The tooth formula is:

\frac

; the dentition consists of 44 teeth. On the anterior upper molar, the mesostyle, a small cusp between the two main cusps on the lip side (paraconus and metaconus), has two small tips, whereas this is only single-pointed in the

. The upper row of teeth is around 11.3 mm long.Boris Kryštufek: ''Skull analysis of small blind moles from Turkey and Iran.'' Folia Zoologica 50 (1), 2001, S. 19–25 ()

Genetics

The diploid chromosome set is 2n = 34.

Life history

Little information is available about the way of life of the Talysch mole; it is likely similar to that of the Levant mole. In the region around Chalus, numerous

molehill A molehill (or mole-hill, mole mound) is a conical mound of loose soil raised by small burrowing mammals, including moles, but also similar animals such as mole-rats, and voles. The word is first recorded in the first half of the 15th century. F ...

s have been observed in forests and in bush areas on sandy subsoil.Douglas M. Lay: ''A study of the mammals of Iran: resulting from the Street Expedition of 1962–63.'' Fieldiana Zoology 54, 1967, S. 1–282 (S. 130–131) ()

Threats and conservation

Talysch mole has not yet been recognized by the IUCN. Information on the status of populations and protective measures is not available.

Literature

* Boris Kryštufek und Masaharu Motokawa: ''Talpidae (Moles, Desmans, Star-nosed Moles and Shrew Moles).'' In: Don E. Wilson und Russell A. Mittermeier (Hrsg.): ''Handbook of the Mammals of the World.'' Volume 8: ''Insectivores, Sloths, Colugos.'' Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, S. 552–620 (S. 609–610) * М. В. Зайцев, Л. Л. Войта und Б. И. Шефтель: ''Млекопитающие фауны России и сопредельных территорий. Насекомоядные.'' Санкт-Петербург, 2014, S. 1–390 (S. 150–152)

References

Boris Kryštufek: ''Skull analysis of small blind moles from Turkey and Iran.'' Folia Zoologica 50 (1), 2001, S. 19–25 () Boris Kryštufek: ''The distribution of the Levant Mole, Talpa levantis.'' Zoology in the Middle East 23 (1), 2001, S. 17–21 Research Collections of the Zoological Institute RAS – Mammals, retrieved 15 May 2010. М. В. Зайцев: ''Вопросы диагностики и систематики кротов Кавказа (Insectivora, Talpidae, Talpa).'' Зоологический Журнал 78 (6), 1999, S. 718–731 Ivo Grulich: ''Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der ostmediterranen kleinwüchsigen, blinden Maulwurfsformen (Talpinae).'' Zoologické listy 21, 1972, S. 3–21 () S. Naderi, A. Mirzajani, H. Rajabi Maham und E. Hadipour: ''The mammals of Anzali Wetland in the Southern Caspian Sea.'' Caspian Journal of Environmental Science 15 (3), 2017, S. 223–235 М. В. Зайцев, Л. Л. Войта und Б. И. Шефтель: ''Млекопитающие фауны России и сопредельных территорий. Насекомоядные.'' Санкт-Петербург, 2014, S. 1–390 (S. 150–152) {{Taxonbar, from= Q97169560 Talpa Mammals of Azerbaijan Fauna of Iran Mammals described in 1945