It was endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia during the Pleistocene epoch.

[1][2][3] It was first described in 1945 by Dorothea Bate,[1] Remains with affinities to the species extend back to around 2 to 2.1 million years ago on the archipelago, during the Early Pleistocene.

[4] It is suggested to have evolved from the mainland European species Talpa minor, which is known from the archipelago during the Pliocene.

[6] The species survived into the Late Pleistocene, but the timing of its extinction is uncertain due to a lack of radiocarbon dates.

[7] During the Middle-Late Pleistocene Corsica and Sardinia had their own highly endemic depauperate terrestrial mammal fauna which besides T. tyrrhenica included Tyrrhenian field rat, (Rhagamys orthodon), the Sardinian pika (Prolagus sardus), a shrew (Asoriculus similis), the Tyrrhenian vole (Microtus henseli), the Sardinian dhole (Cynotherium sardous), a galictine mustelid (Enhydrictis galictoides), a dwarf mammoth (Mammuthus lamarmorai) three species of otter (Algarolutra majori, Sardolutra ichnusae, Megalenhydris barbaricina) and a deer (Praemegaceros cazioti).