Gunning's golden mole

Species of mammal

Gunning’s golden mole
Conservation status

Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Afrosoricida
Family: Chrysochloridae
Genus: Neamblysomus
Species:
N. gunningi
Binomial name
Neamblysomus gunningi
(Broom, 1908)
Gunning's golden mole range
Synonyms

Amblysomus gunningi

Gunning's golden mole (Neamblysomus gunningi) is a small mammal endemic to South Africa. It was listed in 2006 as an endangered species. Its decreasing numbers are due to habitat clearance or destruction and predation from domesticated cats and dogs. It is a burrowing animal and spends the majority of its time underground.

Characteristics

The upper parts are a dark golden-brown tinged with a slight iridescence and the underparts are a lighter brown with a golden sheen. It has a compact, streamlined body and a wedge-shaped head and pointed muzzle. It has muscular shoulders, short powerful forelimbs and strong digging claws. The third claw is enlarged and there is no fifth digit and only a vestigial first and fourth digit. The hind feet retain all five toes and are webbed to allow efficient backward shoveling of the soil loosened with the front claws.[2] The ears are buried in the dense fur and the vestigial eyes are covered by hairy skin. The length is between 11 and 13 centimeters. Males weigh 56 – 70 grams and females 39 – 56 grams.[3]

Biology

Golden moles have a high metabolic rate and are able to enter into a state of torpor in response to cold temperatures. This enables them to survive in areas where temperatures can be low and food scarce. When burrowing and foraging near the surface they create raised ridges of soil that are visible above ground. There is also a system of deeper tunnels which are used for resting and for the rearing of young. The diet is mostly earthworms, insect larvae and other small invertebrates.[4]

Range and habitat

The golden mole is known only from the far northern Drakensberg, at Woodbush Forest and New Agatha Forest Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa[5] where it inhabits montane forest and grasslands, cultivated farmland and young pine plantations. It prefers moist soil near watercourses and ponds.[6] Because of this limited range it is vulnerable to any detrimental human activities within the area and its status is given as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Maree, S. (2015). "Neamblysomus gunningi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T1087A21283546. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T1087A21283546.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ Piper, Ross. Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals. Greenwood Press (2007).
  3. ^ Bronner, G.N. and Jenkins, P.D. Mammal Species of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press (2005)
  4. ^ Afrotheria Specialist Group
  5. ^ Mammal Species of the World
  6. ^ "ARKive". Archived from the original on 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2010-11-20.

External links

  • https://web.archive.org/web/20070405005109/http://www.africanfauna.com/gunningsgoldenmole.php
  • v
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Extant Afrosoricida species
Suborder Tenrecomorpha
Potamogalidae
Micropotamogale
  • Nimba otter shrew (M. lamottei)
  • Ruwenzori otter shrew (M. ruwenzorii)
Potamogale
  • Giant otter shrew (P. velox)
Tenrecidae
(Tenrecs)
Geogalinae
Geogale
  • Large-eared tenrec (G. aurita)
Oryzorictinae
Microgale
  • Short-tailed shrew tenrec (M. brevicaudata)
  • Cowan's shrew tenrec (M. cowani)
  • Drouhard's shrew tenrec (M. drouhardi)
  • Dryad shrew tenrec (M. dryas)
  • Pale shrew tenrec (M. fotsifotsy)
  • Gracile shrew tenrec (M. gracilis)
  • Naked-nosed shrew tenrec (M. gymnorhyncha)
  • Jenkins' shrew tenrec (M. jenkinsae)
  • Northern shrew tenrec (M. jobihely)
  • Lesser long-tailed shrew tenrec (M. longicaudata)
  • Major's long-tailed tenrec (M. majori)
  • Web-footed tenrec (M. mergulus)
  • Montane shrew tenrec (M. monticola)
  • Nasolo's shrew tenrec (M. nasoloi)
  • Pygmy shrew tenrec (M. parvula)
  • Greater long-tailed shrew tenrec (M. principula)
  • Least shrew tenrec (M. pusilla)
  • Shrew-toothed shrew tenrec (M. soricoides)
  • Taiva shrew tenrec (M. taiva)
  • Thomas's shrew tenrec (M. thomasi)
Nesogale
  • Dobson's shrew tenrec (N. dobsoni)
  • Talazac's shrew tenrec (N. talazaci)
Oryzorictes
(Rice tenrecs)
  • Mole-like rice tenrec (O. hova)
  • Four-toed rice tenrec (O. tetradactylus)
Tenrecinae
Echinops
  • Lesser hedgehog tenrec (E. telfairi)
Hemicentetes
  • Highland streaked tenrec (H. nigriceps)
  • Lowland streaked tenrec (H. semispinosus)
Setifer
  • Greater hedgehog tenrec (S. setosus)
Tenrec
  • Tailless tenrec (T. ecaudatus)
Suborder Chrysochloridea (golden moles)
Chrysochlorinae
Carpitalpa
  • Arends's golden mole (C. arendsi)
Chlorotalpa
  • Duthie's golden mole (C. duthieae)
  • Sclater's golden mole (C. sclateri)
Chrysochloris
Subgenus Chrysochloris:
  • Cape golden mole (C. asiatica)
  • Visagie's golden mole (C. visagiei)
Subgenus Kilimatalpa:
  • Stuhlmann's golden mole (C. stuhlmanni)
Chrysospalax
  • Giant golden mole (C. trevelyani)
  • Rough-haired golden mole (C. villosus)
Cryptochloris
  • De Winton's golden mole (C. wintoni)
  • Van Zyl's golden mole (C. zyli)
Eremitalpa
  • Grant's golden mole (E. granti)
Amblysominae
Amblysomus
  • Fynbos golden mole (A. corriae)
  • Hottentot golden mole (A. hottentotus)
  • Marley's golden mole (A. marleyi)
  • Robust golden mole (A. robustus)
  • Highveld golden mole (A. septentrionalis)
Calcochloris
Subgenus Huetia:
  • Congo golden mole (C. leucorhinus)
Subgenus Calcochloris:
  • Yellow golden mole (C. obtusirostris)
Subgenus incertae sedis:
  • Somali golden mole (C. tytonis)
Neamblysomus
  • Gunning's golden mole (N. gunningi)
  • Juliana's golden mole (N. julianae)
Taxon identifiers
Neamblysomus gunningi