Chrysospalax trevelyani

Geographic Range

Giant golden moles are found in the forests of the eastern Cape of South Africa.

• Biogeographic Regions
• ethiopian ethiopian
  • native native

Habitat

This species seems to be restricted to large patches of coastal or Afromontane forests, although it is sometimes present in adjacent grasslands. These forests must have a deep litter layer, well developed undergrowth, and soft soils. Giant golden moles do not occur in rocky terrain or on steep slopes and are absent from the commercial forest plantations that have been established in the region.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest

Physical Description

Most golden moles are usually about 12 to 17 cm long and weigh from 85 to 142 grams. Giant golden moles are about 20 cm in length and as heavy as 539 grams. Their fur is usually reddish brown, but is quite variable, ranging from black to pale yellow. The fur usually has an iridescent sheen of coppery gold, purple, green or bronze. Their bodies are fusiform, with large claws on their short, powerful forelegs. They have no external tail or ears, and their eyes are covered by skin. Their noses are pink and tapered. They have two layers of fur, an outer, moisture proof layer of guard hairs, and an insulating wooly underlayer. Their nose has a leather pad on it to protect the nostrils as they push through the soil. The first and fourth digits on their forelegs are vestigial, while the fifth digit has disappeared entirely. The third toe in front is greatly enlarged. They have five digits on their rear feet and they are webbed to shove the soil behind them as they dig.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes alike

Reproduction

As part of a courtship ritual, males makes chirruping sounds at females while bobbing their heads and stomping their feet. In response to this, females make rasping and squealing noises.

• Mating System
• polygynous polygynous

There is little available information on breeding behavior in giant golden moles. It is believed that they are polyestrous and breed throughout the year. In general, females raise one to two young per litter.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• year-round breeding year-round breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Females nurse and care for their young until they are weaned. Little is known about the kinds of parental care provided before independence in giant golden moles.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

Information not known at this time.

Behavior

Giant golden moles are nocturnal. In the wild, they generally enter their burrows before dawn and emerge to forage well after dusk. While in their burrows they enter a state of torpor until evening. When in captivity, they require water to drink and eat an insect diet. If they are handled too much while they are in torpor, they will wake up and, in extreme cases, cease eating. Most species of golden moles do not need to drink free standing water because of their low metabolic rates and their diet. When they are awake, they stay moving almost constantly. When they sleep, their muscles twitch continuously. In the wild, giant golden moles inhabit burrows approximately 10 m long with a network of surface runways. Golden moles are generally solitary, and it is likely that giant golden moles are solitary as well. They are the only species that has shown any degree of social behavior, though, with several individuals being found together in the same burrow in midwinter, suggesting the possibility of social hibernation. Typically, adults are territorial and fight viciously if confined together.

• Key Behaviors
• fossorial fossorial
• nocturnal nocturnal
• motile motile
• sedentary sedentary
• daily torpor
• solitary solitary

Home Range

Information about home range sizes of giant golden moles is not available.

Communication and Perception

The eyes of golden moles are covered with a layer of skin. They likely use their senses of smell, touch, and hearing extensively in perceiving their environment and communicating.

• Communication Channels
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Perception Channels
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• vibrations vibrations
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Giant golden moles are insectivores that feed mostly on earthworms, termites, and millipedes. They forage under litter on the forest floor.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
  • vermivore

• Animal Foods
• insects
• terrestrial non-insect arthropods
• terrestrial worms

Predation

Domestic dogs have been reported preying on giant golden moles. Nocturnal snakes, owls, and mammalian carnivores are potential predators as well. Giant golden moles remain safe in burrows throughout the day, avoiding diurnal predators.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

Giant golden moles are important predators of earthworms and invertebrates in their forest ecosystems.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Giant golden moles help to control insect pests that they prey on.

• Positive Impacts
• controls pest population

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse effects of giant golden moles on humans.

Conservation Status

Chrysospalax trevelyani populations face habitat loss from the degradation of forests due to clearing, firewood collection, stripping of trees, and the overgrazing of livestock. They are also preyed upon by domestic, feral dogs.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Tanya Dewey (editor), Animal Diversity Web.

Ruth Zeimet (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Chris Yahnke (editor, instructor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

References

Bronner, G. 2006. "Chrysospalax trevelyani" (On-line). IUCN Red List. Accessed November 01, 2006 at http://www.iucnredlist.org .

Bronner, G. 2006. "Golden Moles Biological Synopsis" (On-line). Afrotheria Specialist Group. Accessed November 01, 2006 at http://www.calacademy.org/research/bmammals/afrotheria/golden_moles/ .

Bronner, G. 1995. Cytogenetic properties of nine species of golden moles. Journal of Mammalogy , 76: 957-971.

Maddock, A., G. Hickman. 1985. A preliminary report on locomotory activity in wild and captive Chrysospalax trevelyani (Mammalia; Chrysochloridae). South African journal of zoology , 20: 271-273.

Poduschka, W. 1980. Notes on the giant golden mole Chrysospalax trevelyani Guntehr 1875 (Mammalia: Insectivora) and its survival chances. Z. Saugetierk , 45: 193-206.

Poduschka, W. 1982. The giant golden mole. Oryx , 16: 232-234.