La Touche's mole is recorded from southern China and northern Vietnam. In surveys in northern Vietnam, specimens were collected in rural natural forests and near residences.
It is small and has dark fur. The auditory opening in the skull is broad, a feature used to distinguish it from other moles.
La Touche’s Mole is a small, dark-furred mole of southern China and northern Vietnam. Its skull has a narrow snout region, and it is distinct from its close relatives on Taiwan.
A 2010 study examined cells from one female collected at Sa Pa, Vietnam. The researchers stained chromosomes, which carry genetic information, and compared their numbers and banding patterns. This female had 30 chromosomes, whereas the two Taiwanese species examined had 32.
Comparison with published Japanese mole material revealed large chromosomes whose banding patterns suggested fusion of formerly separate chromosomes. Two of these combinations differed from those in the Taiwanese moles. The authors regarded this cellular evidence as further support for treating La Touche’s Mole as a distinct species. Structures hidden inside cells preserve clues to different evolutionary histories.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
A 2024 study of mammal conservation in Vietnam included La Touche’s Mole among animals lacking sufficient information or an assessment in the sources used. The authors identified evaluation of such animals as a future conservation priority. Additional reliably identified records, together with research on habitat and population changes, would strengthen the basis for conserving this species.