golden mole
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What is a golden mole?
The golden mole is a burrowing insectivore native to sub-Saharan Africa, comprising 18 species in the order Chrysochloridea. These blind and tailless mammals possess a cylindrical body, short limbs, and a triangular head with a leathery pad at the muzzle. Their fur ranges in color from dark gray to black, often with violet, green, yellow, or bronze iridescence.
Most golden mole species are nocturnal and prefer loamy or sandy soils, feeding on insects, earthworms, and lizards. They live in forests, savannas, grasslands, rocky hillsides, sandy riverbeds, and sand dunes. The giant golden mole is the largest, with a body length of 20 to 24 cm, while Grant’s golden mole is the smallest, weighing less than an ounce.
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Where do golden moles live?
Golden moles live in sub-Saharan Africa, from coastal lowlands to 3,300 m high areas, including forests, savannas, grasslands, rocky hillsides, sandy riverbeds, and sand dunes. Some live in cultivated fields and golf courses. They prefer loamy or sandy soils and avoid clay and compacted soils.
Grant’s golden mole lives in sand dunes and travels on the dune surface or just below it at night, while other species travel and forage in shallow subsurface tunnels or dig burrows as deep as 50 cm.
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What do golden moles look like?
Golden moles are burrowing insectivores native to sub-Saharan Africa. They are blind, tailless, and have a cylindrical body with short limbs. Their triangular head has a leathery pad at the muzzle, and they lack external ears.
Their fur ranges in color from dark gray to black, with violet, green, yellow, or bronze iridescence. Golden moles have four front digits with strong claws and five hind digits connected by membranous skin. The largest golden mole is the giant golden mole, with a body 20 to 24 cm long, while the smallest is Grant’s golden mole, with a body 8 to 9 cm long.
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How do golden moles find food underground?
Golden moles, primarily nocturnal animals, locate food underground using subsurface tunnels or by burrowing as deep as 50 cm, with entrances marked by soil mounds. They feed on insects, earthworms, and lizards.
To find food, they loosen soil with their leathery muzzle, forefeet, and claws, pushing it under their body. Their hind feet then push the debris along and out of the burrow. Grant’s golden mole, a sand-dune inhabitant, "swims" through the sand at night, using its front limbs and muzzle to forage.
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What do golden moles eat?
Golden moles eat insects, earthworms, and lizards. They forage and travel in shallow subsurface tunnels. Some species prefer loamy or sandy soils, but after heavy rainfalls, they come to the surface. Grant’s golden mole inhabits sand dunes and "swims" through the sand at night to find food.
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Why are golden moles considered unique among mammals?
Golden moles are unique mammals because they are different enough from other moles and insectivores to be classified into their own order, Chrysochloridea. This order consists of one family, Chrysochloridae, which includes 18 species in six genera. These blind and tailless burrowing insectivores are native to sub-Saharan Africa. Golden moles have a cylindrical body, short limbs, no external tail, a triangular head ending in a leathery pad, and their degenerate eyes are covered with skin and fur. They use their strong claws to dig for insects, earthworms, and lizards in loamy or sandy soils.
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golden mole, (order Chrysochloridea), any of 18 species of blind and tailless burrowing insectivores that live in sub-Saharan Africa. They are sufficiently different from other moles and insectivores to constitute their own mammalian order. Golden moles have a cylindrical body, short limbs, and no external tail; tail vertebrae are beneath the skin. Their triangular head ends in a leathery pad at the muzzle; their degenerate eyes are covered with skin and fur; and they lack external ears. The skin is tough and loosely attached to the body. The four front digits bear strong claws, two of which are long and shaped like a pickax. The five hind digits are connected by membranous skin. The fur is long and slightly coarse in two species but short, soft, and dense in all others. It ranges in colour from dark gray through brownish tones and chestnut to black, with violet, green, yellow, or bronze iridescence.
Natural history
Most species are nocturnal, though some are also active by day. They prefer loamy or sandy soils; clay and compacted soils are avoided. After heavy rainfalls golden moles come to the surface. Golden moles eat insects, earthworms, and lizards. Some travel and forage in shallow subsurface tunnels; others excavate burrows as deep as 50 cm (20 inches), with entrances marked by mounds of soil. Soil is loosened with the leathery muzzle, forefeet, and claws and then pushed under the body with the claws and muzzle. The hind feet push the debris along and out of the burrow. Grant’s golden mole (Eremitalpa granti) of southern Africa is a sand-dune inhabitant. It does not live in burrows but travels at night on the dune surface or just below, employing its front limbs and muzzle to “swim” through the sand. During the day it buries itself down to 35 cm in soft sand.
Golden moles range from coastal lowlands to elevations of 3,300 metres (10,800 feet), inhabiting forests, savannas, grasslands, rocky hillsides, sandy riverbeds, and sand dunes. Some species reportedly live in cultivated fields and on the fairways of golf courses. The largest is the giant golden mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani) of South Africa, with a body 20 to 24 cm (7.9 to 9.4 inches) long; it is a forest dweller that dens in burrows but travels and forages along the surface. The smallest is Grant’s golden mole, weighing less than an ounce, with a body 8 to 9 cm long. Golden moles give birth to one or two young.
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Classification and paleontology
Golden moles are classified in seven genera within the family Chrysochloridae, the only family of the order Chrysochloridea, which belongs to a larger group of mammals referred to as insectivores. Their closest relatives may be African tenrecs (family Tenrecidae). Evolutionary history of the family, based upon fossils, can be traced back to the Early Miocene Epoch (23.8 to 11.2 million years ago) of Africa.
- Order Chrysochloridea
- 1 family from sub-Saharan Africa. 2 fossil genera.
- Family Chrysochloridae (golden moles)
- 18 species in 6 genera.
- Genus Chlorotalpa (African golden moles)
- 5 species.
- Genus Ambylosomus (South African golden moles)
- 4 species.
- Genus Chrysochloris (Cape golden moles)
- 3 species.
- Genus Chrysospalax (large golden moles)
- 2 species.
- Genus Cryptochloris (secretive golden moles)
- 2 species.
- Genus Calcochloris (yellow golden mole)
- 1 species.
- Genus Eremitalpa (Grant’s golden mole)
- 1 species.