Cape golden mole adult, showing the digging claw, absence of external eye and a hint of the iridescence of the fur.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Afrosoricida
Family:
Chrysochloridae
Genus:
Chrysochloris
Species:
C. asiatica
Binomial name
Chrysochloris asiatica
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Cape golden mole range
Synonyms
List
Chrysochloris asiatica bayoni De Beaux, 1921
Chrysochloris capensis Lacépède, 1799
Chrysochloris calviniae Shortridge, 1942
Chrysochloris concolor Shortridge & Carter, 1938
Chrysochloris damarensis Ogilby, 1838
Chrysochloris dixoni Broom, 1946
Chrysochloris elegans Broom, 1946
Chrysochloris minor Roberts, 1919
Chrysochloris namaquensis Broom, 1907
Chrysochloris rubra Lacépède, 1799
Chrysochloris shortridgei Broom, 1946
Chrysochloris taylori Broom, 1950
Chrysochloris tenuis Broom, 1907
Chrysochloris visserae Broom, 1950
Sorex auratus Vosmaer, 1787
Talpa asiatica Linnaeus, 1758
Talpa aurea Pallas, 1778
Talpa inaurata Pallas, 1777
The Cape golden mole (Chrysochloris asiatica) is a small, insectivorous mammal of the family Chrysochloridae, the golden moles. The species is a solitary subterranean insectivore, confined to the coastal regions of the southwestern and southern Cape in South Africa. When foraging for small, soil invertebrates and small lizards, these golden moles excavate superficial burrows using their conical nose shield and highly modified forefeet.[2] Females are smaller than males. Golden moles have very dense, soft, and silky coats. The coats are colored blackish to slaty-grey and brown to pale fawn. They have also been observed to venture onto sandy beaches, presumably to feed on amphipods and isopods occurring there.[3]
^Bronner, G. (2015). "Chrysochloris asiatica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T40600A21288387. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T40600A21288387.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^"Chrysochloris asiatica (Cape golden mole)". Animal Diversity Web.
^BENNETT, AND SPINKS (1995). "hermoregulation and metabolism in the Cape golden mole (Insectivora: Chrysochloris asiatica)". Journal of Zoology, London. 236 (3): 521–529. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1995.tb02729.x.
The Capegoldenmole (Chrysochloris asiatica) is a small, insectivorous mammal of the family Chrysochloridae, the goldenmoles. The species is a solitary...
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fully fossorial marsupial mole the eyes are degenerated and useless, talpa moles have vestigial eyes and the capegoldenmole has a layer of skin covering...
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