Chrysospalax villosus
| Rough-haired golden mole | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Afrosoricida |
| Family: | Chrysochloridae |
| Genus: | Chrysospalax |
| Species: | C. villosus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Chrysospalax villosus (A. Smith, 1833) |
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| Subspecies | |
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Chrysospalax villosus dobsoni |
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| Rough-haired golden mole range | |
Chrysospalax villosus dobsoni
Chrysospalax villosus leschae
Chrysospalax villosus rufopallidus
Chrysospalax villosus rufus
Chyrsospalax villosus transvaalensis
Chrysospalax villosus villosus
Rough-haired golden moles (Chrysospalax villosus) are an ancient group of mammals that live mostly below ground. They have shiny coats of dense fur and a streamlined, formless appearance. They have no visible eyes or ears; in fact, they are blind - the small eyes are covered with hairy skin. The ears are small and are hidden in the animal's fur.[10]
The rough-haired golden mole is generally larger than most of the other species of golden mole, with a total length of 120–175 mm and a mass of 90-160 g.[5] In the Transvaal region which is associated with land north of modern-day Vaal river in South Africa, males had an average mass of 105 grams while females had a range of mass from 65 to 142 grams.[2] It characteristically has a coarse and long pelage with hairs 18–20 mm long on the back. The glossy individual hairs of the guard coat on the mid-back are slate-grey at the base with reddish brown to brown at the tip. The under fur is woolly and grey. The claws of the third digit on the front feet are powerful and about 1.6 cm in length.[5][9]
Its natural habitats are temperate grasslands, arable lands,pasturelands, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas. Historically throughout Africa it was found scattered throughout the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.[5] One particular historical site for the mole has been completely transformed by urbanization, the greater Pretoria West region of Gauteng which consists of grasslands where extensive searches for this species over the last 10 years have not yielded any sign of their presence. The Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal and Mpumulanga provincial conservation departments are currently attempting to document and record potential habitat sites that may support rough-haired golden mole populations. There is major concern by these bodies that this mammal may be more threatened than its red list status suggests. The rareness of the species is exemplified by the fact that the capture of one individual in the Glengary region of KwaZulu-Natal in 2003 was the first specimen recorded since 1974, nearly 30 years ago.[5]
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Wikipedia