Balkan mole

The Balkan mole is a species of mammal in the family Talpidae.

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1931 as a subspecies of T. romana. It has two subspecies, T. s. stankovici and T. s. montenegrina. Genetic analysis found that, despite the morphological similarities between T. stankovici and T. romana, T. stankovici is most closely related to T. levantis.

Description

Males are with a tail; females are slightly smaller. Males weigh, and weight about 20% more than females. The Balkan mole has black fur and grey feet.

Habitat and ecology

It feeds primarily on earthworms. Females give birth to 2-4 young in February and early March.
It is found in Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Greece, including the island of Corfu, at elevations up to, in various types of open habitats. It is listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide range and lack of any significant threats.