Talpa caeca Savi 1822

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Soricomorpha, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 220-311 : 308

Talpa caeca Savi 1822

Talpa caeca Savi 1822 , Nuovo Giorn. de Letterati, Pisa, Vol. 1: 265.

Type Locality: Italy, Pisa.

Vernacular Names: Blind Mole.

Subspecies: :

Subspecies Talpa caeca subsp. caeca Savi 1822

Subspecies Talpa caeca subsp. augustana Capolongo and Panasci 1978

Subspecies Talpa caeca subsp. hercegovinensis Bolkay 1925

Subspecies Talpa caeca subsp. steini Grulich 1971

Distribution: S Europe and (doubtfully) Asia Minor; Alps, Apennines, Balkan, Thrazia.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Kryštufek (1994) revised the taxonomy of European populations of T. caeca and demonstrated morphometric differences to stankovici and to the Caucasus moles ( caucasica , levantis ). Species reviewed by Niethammer (in Niethammer and Krapp, 1990). In the paleontological literature, Talpa minor Freudenberg, 1914 is either regarded as a fossil ancestor of, or as conspecific with the extant caeca ( Rabeder, 1972) . However, Cleef-Roders and Hoek Ostende (2001) pointed out clear differences in the dentition of minor and caeca and regarded both as different species. Karyotype has 2n = 36, FN = 64 (Ticino) or 68 (Balkans) (see Niethammer, in Niethammer and Krapp, 1990). For synonyms see Niethammer, in Niethammer and Krapp (1990).