Talpa altaica Nikolsky 1883

Talpa altaica Nikolsky 1883, Trans. Soc. Nat. St. Petersburg, 14: 165.

Type Locality: Russia, Siberia, Altai Mtns, Valley of Tourak.

Vernacular Names: Altai Mole.

Synonyms: Talpa gusevi (Fetisov 1956); Talpa irkutensis Dybowski 1922; Talpa saianensis Bielovusev 1921; Talpa salairica Egorin 1936; Talpa salairici Corbet 1978; Talpa sibirica Egorin 1937; Talpa suschkini Kastschenko 1905; Talpa tymensis Egorin 1937 .

Distribution: Taiga zone of Siberia between Ob and Lena Rivers; south to N Mongolia.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Placed by Yudin (1989:52) in genus Asioscalops; but see Corbet (1978 c:33). Kratochvíl and Kral (1972) provided karyological evidence for a separation of altaica from the remaining Talpa species.