This mole occurs in Thrace along the southwestern Black Sea coast, from southeastern Bulgaria to near Istanbul in Turkey. It has been captured in the soil of grasslands, pastures, orchards, and other habitats.
The fur is dense and velvety, blackish on the back and slightly lighter slate-gray underneath. The tail is short and has black bristles.
Martinos’ Mole lives in Thrace along the southwestern Black Sea coast. Thin transparent skin covers the eye opening, and its first upper molar lacks a small accessory cusp present in many related moles.
A 2018 study examined 14 Bulgarian specimens alongside museum material of other moles. Researchers inspected the eye region with a ten-power magnifier and compared skulls and teeth. Some body and skull measurements overlapped those of similar-looking species such as the Levant Mole.
A mitochondrial gene provided another clue. Sequences from eight individuals were nearly identical and formed a separate group from the other species analysed. Combining this genetic evidence with dental and eye-opening traits, the authors described a new species. Small structures and cellular information together revealed differences beneath a similar underground-adapted appearance.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The January 2026 environmental impact assessment for the Istanbul North Rail Crossing Project identified this mole as a geographically restricted regional endemic and considered its possible occurrence. Confirming species identity and occupied sites would strengthen conservation planning. Retaining the moist grasslands, orchards and riverine woodland documented in the 2018 description, while studying effects of land-use change, would provide a practical foundation.