The very limited reproductive data available (for only a few species) suggest that golden moles breed throughout the year, perhaps with a peak in the wetter months when prey is more abundant, and may be polyoestrous (Bernard et al. 1994; Schoeman et al. 2004). Litter sizes are small (usually 2) and post-natal development is extended, reaching up to 45 days in the Cape golden mole. Behavior a b Kuyper, Margaret (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 764–765. ISBN 978-0-87196-871-5. MyHome.ie (Opens in new window) • Top 1000 • The Gloss (Opens in new window) • Recruit Ireland (Opens in new window) • Irish Times Training (Opens in new window) MacPhee, R. D. E. & Novacek, M. J. 1993. Definition and relationships of Lipotyphla. Pp. 13-31. In Mammal Phylogeny: Placentals (F. S. Szalay, ed.). Springer Verlag, New York. The behavior of golden moles has not been studied in any detail, though it is known that most species are territorial and fight viciously if confined together. The only species whose behaviors have been documented is the Hottentot golden mole, in which adults are solitary and fight aggressively with individuals of either sex by wrestling their opponent using the foreclaws, and biting at the abdomen. Fighting is often accompanied by high-pitched squeaks. Individuals actively defend their burrow systems. Some amount of home range overlap is tolerated, and dominant moles sometimes take over neighbouring burrow systems to increase their home range. Courtship involves chirruping vocalizations, head-bobbing and foot stamping by the male, and rasping and squealing vocalizations by the female (Kuyper 1985).

The Golden Mole: an Account of Vanishing Treasure

Duncan, P. & Wrangham, R. W. 1971. On the ecology and distribution of subterranean insectivores in Kenya. Journal of Zoology, London 164: 149-163. Bronner, G.N., Jonres E. & Coetzer, D.J. 1990. Hyoid-dentary articulations in golden moles (Mammalia: Insectivora; Chrysochloridae). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 55:11-15. Bronner, G.N. 1995a. Cytogenetic properties of nine species of golden moles (Insectivora: Chrysochloridae). Journal of Mammalogy 76: 957-971. Rundell shows us that the human imagination often looks pedestrian next to nature’s real ingenuity; our fairytales can seem like mundane placeholders for more wonderful truths. It was once proposed that storks “wintered on the moon”; we couldn’t have imagined that a mere two centuries later their wings would reveal the key to human fight. No Roman naturalist or German scholastic would have dared suggest swifts fly the equivalent of five times round the Earth every year. The US Navy models underwater missiles on the body shape of bluefin tuna. But biotech is yet to emulate the properties of the golden orb spider’s web, which can last years. Digimorph Digiital morphology account of the golden mole skeleton (genus c hrysochloris) Literature CitedA book as rare and precious as a golden mole. A joyous catalogue of curiosities that builds into a timely reminder that life on planet is worth our wonder." Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, family Talpidae, and other mole-like families, all of which, to various degrees, they resemble as a result of evolutionary convergence. There are 21 species. Some (e.g., Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus) are relatively common, whereas others (e.g., species of Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris, Neamblysomus) are rare and endangered. The highly restricted distributions of some species, often in remote areas not easily accessible to biologists; Roberts, A. 1951. The Mammals of South Africa. Trustees of the “Mammals of South Africa” Book Fund, Pretoria. 700 pp.

Consider the Golden Mole · LRB 18 April 2019 Katherine Rundell · Consider the Golden Mole · LRB 18 April 2019

Rundell is very strong on the tales humans have told about the natural world. We now know that unicorn horns were actually narwhal tusks, that hedgehogs are lactose intolerant, that drinking bats’ blood does not make you invisible. But we are still making mistakes, and we still know very little. Take the Somali golden mole, whose entry on the International Union for Conservation of Nature list says “data deficient” because “we do not know what shares the world with us, and in what numbers”.

Broadcasts

Broom, R. 1915. On the Organ of Jacobsen and its relations in the "Insectivora". Part II. Talpa, Centetes and Chrysochloris. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 25:347-354. Even more disturbingly, Rundell argues that extinction is “not just happening because of our inertia: it’s incentive-driven” – through a ghastly process known as “extinction speculation”. Those who trade in Norwegian shark fin, rare bear bladders, rhino horn and even frozen bluefin tuna would love these species to go extinct, because prices would go through the roof. One of the reasons for the evolutionary success of golden moles may be their unique physiology. Despite a high thermal conductance, they have a low basal metabolic rate and are moderate ( Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus) to extreme ( Eremitalpa granti) thermoconformers (Bennett & Spinks, 1995; Seymour et al. 1998), thereby considerably reducing their thermoregulatory energy requirements. All species enter torpor, either daily or in response to cold temperatures. Body temperature in the thermal neutral zone is lower than in other similarly-sized mammals. The low metabolic rate of the Cape golden mole is achieved by lowering the body temperature, whereas in Grant’s golden mole it is also the result of intrinsic metabolic depression. Lowered metabolism and efficient renal function effectively reduce water requirements to the extent that most species do not need to drink. Far from being “primitive” characteristics, as was originally proposed by Withers (1978), such physiological specializations allow these moles to survive in habitats where temperatures are extreme and food is scarce, either seasonally or perennially. Ecology Females give birth to one to three hairless young in a grass-lined nest within the burrow system. Breeding occurs throughout the year. The adults are solitary, and their burrowing territory may be aggressively defended from intruders, especially where resources are relatively scarce. [4] Status [ edit ] Linnaeus first documented the existence of golden moles (family Chrysochloridae) nearly 250 years ago, yet current knowledge of these blind, subterranean small mammals is still limited, and based largely on a few more common and widespread species. This can be attributed to several factors:

Golden Moles | IUCN Afrotheria Specialist Group Golden Moles | IUCN Afrotheria Specialist Group

Rundell’s selection is rangy and personalised. There’s bound to be animals one feels to have been unfairly overlooked, and I would have liked to see her on at least one bird of prey, or declining beetle, or endangered cat. The Bengal tiger would have been too much to ask: a whole book would be required to explore the references and resonances that accompany it. The lynx, though, is secretive and mysterious enough not to have already exhausted our cultural imaginations, and could fit snugly into one of these short entries. Some animals that would have most brilliantly galvanised Rundell in the telling and fit well into her format, rich as they are in folklore, misunderstanding and wild factoids, are doing just fine. The spotted hyena, much maligned and endlessly fascinating in terms of legend and science, by and large doesn’t need the help of a book like this. Rundell’s latest LRB piece has been published this month, and is on hummingbirds. As it’s not included here, maybe there’s a second edition of this golden treasury being planned. Of the 21 species of golden mole, no fewer than 11 are threatened with extinction. The primary cause being human-induced habitat loss. Additionally sand mining, poor agricultural practices, and predation by domestic cats and dogs are causes of population decline. Mason, M. J. & Narins, P. M. 2001. Seismic signal use by fossorial mammals. American Zoologist 41: 1171-1184. Eberle, Ute (9 February 2022). "Life in the soil was thought to be silent. What if it isn't?". Knowable Magazine. doi: 10.1146/knowable-020922-2. S2CID 246770511. Willi, U. B., Bronner, G. N. & Narins P. M. 2005a. Ossicular differentiation of airborne and seismic stimuli in the Cape golden mole ( Chrysochloris asiatica). Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology 192(3): 267-277.Most of the species listed in threatened categories have restricted or fragmented distributions where populations are being subjected to increasing habitat degradation as a result of human activities, most notably mining, urbanization, agriculture and the poor management of indigenous forests. From bears to bats to hermit crabs, a witty, intoxicating paean to Earth's wondrous creatures [...] shot through with Rundell's characteristic wit and swagger." Katherine Rundell is a scholar, a fabulous writer and a born enthusiast. These qualities were on prominent display in Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne , published earlier this year. But she is equally famous as an award-winning children’s author, whose books such as The Wolf Wilder are shot through with a deep sense of the strange and often disturbing beauty of other animals. The Golden Mole is a celebration of 22 species, each of which is either endangered or “contains a subspecies that is endangered”. Golden Moles share a number of features, varying by species, seldom seen elsewhere among living mammals, including three forearm long-bones, hyoid- mandible articulation, and a hypertrophied malleus. [5] Some species have hypertrophied (enlarged) middle ear ossicles, in particular the malleus. These animals have the largest malleus relative to body size of any animal. [9] This morphology may be adapted for the detection of seismic signals. [10] [11] [12] In this respect there is some apparent convergent evolution to burrowing reptiles in the family Amphisbaenidae.

Golden mole - Wikipedia Golden mole - Wikipedia

Seymour, R. S., Withers, P. C. & Weathers, W. W. 1998. Energetics of burrowing, running and free-living in the Namib Desert golden mole ( Eremitalpa namibensis). Journal of Zoology, London 244: 107-117. The Golden Mole is shot through with Rundell’s characteristic wit and swagger. The position of the mother wombat’s pouch, facing down, with the baby wombat peering out from between her legs “explains why it was a kangaroo who got to be in Winnie-the-Pooh”. Edward the Confessor is “a king so morally upright he was practically levitating”. Amelia Earhart is “the valiant, hell-for-leather aviatrix with the face of a lion” who, Rundell speculates, may have been eaten by a hermit crab. Not that Rundell condemns hermit crabs. In fact, learning about how they live in everything from tin cans to coconut halves, she finds: “More and more, in these darker days, I admire resourcefulness. I love their tenacity: forging lives from the shells of the dead, making homes from the debris that the world, in its chaos, has left out for them.” For highlights from the latest issue, our archive and the blog, as well as news, events and exclusive promotions.

Last on

Bronner, G.N. 2000. New species and subspecies of golden mole (Chrysochloridae: Amblysomus) from Mpumalanga, South Africa. Mammalia 64: 41-54.