Moles are small mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears, reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging.
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 are relatively common, whereas others are rare and endangered.
The clade Tenrecoidea or Afrosoricida contains the golden moles of Southern Africa, the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar. These three groups of small mammals were for most of the 19th and 20th centuries regarded as a part of the Insectivora or Lipotyphla. Both groups, as traditionally used, are polyphyletic.
Juliana's golden mole is a golden mole endemic to South Africa. It is listed as an endangered species due to habitat loss and a restricted range. Golden moles are an ancient group of mammals that live mostly below ground. The eponymous Juliana is Juliana Meester, the wife of the South African zoologist who named this species.
The Somali golden mole is a golden mole endemic to Somalia. In 1964, Dr. Alberto Simonetta of the University of Florence discovered the mole's jaw and ear bone fragments in a barn owl pellet in Jowhar, Somalia. The Somali golden mole differs from the other species in its family (Chrysochloridae) because the shape of its jaw is distinct; although the length of the lower jaw fits within the size range of the skulls of species Amblysomus leucorhinus and Amblysomus sclateri, the width of the ascending parts of the jaw is much bigger (2mm) than that of the species it most closely matches.
Visagie's golden mole is a small, insectivorous mammal of the family Chrysochloridae, the golden moles, endemic to South Africa.
Van Zyl's golden mole is a golden mole endemic to the Western Cape Province, South Africa. It is listed as an endangered species due to habitat loss. Golden moles are an ancient group of mammals who 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.
Grant's golden mole is a golden mole species. It is the only member of the genus Eremitalpa.
The giant golden mole is a small mammal found in Africa. At 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length, it is the largest of the golden mole species. The mole has dark, glossy brown fur; the name golden comes from the Greek word for green-gold, the family Chrysochloridae name.
The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in southern Africa. The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region. Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, as well as 849 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants.
The fynbos golden mole is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is endemic to South Africa.
Amblysomus is a genus of the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae, comprising five species of the small, insect-eating, burrowing mammals endemic to Southern Africa. All five species can be found in South Africa and some are also found in Eswatini and Lesotho.
Stuhlmann's golden mole is a species of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It is found in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest and high-elevation shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, subtropical or tropical dry grassland, arable land, and pasture.
Chrysochloris is a genus of mammal in the family Chrysochloridae. It contains the following species:
The rough-haired golden mole is a species of mammal 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.
