To communicate with others, Hottentot golden moles use vibrations and head knocking to establish their presence and to set burrow boundaries. Their middle ear is modified to improve the detection of low frequency vibrations, which helps these animals while foraging. The head of the malleus, the incus, and the footplate of the stapes are all enlarged. Because the eyes of A. hottentotus are covered with skin, sight is not a sense that it utilizes. Rarely vocal, A. hottentotus chirps when handled and during courtship.
Communication Channels: acoustic
Other Communication Modes: vibrations
Perception Channels: tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical
Hottentot golden moles are an IUCN red list species of least concern. Populations seem to be stable. Like other fossorial mammals, they may be threatened by agricultural development.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known adverse affects of A. hottentotus on humans.
There are no known positive affects of A. hottentotus on humans, aside from their important role in the ecosystem.
The ecosystem roles of A. hottentotus are not well known. It is an insectivore, and because A. hottentotus is a highly fossorial species, it is likely involved in soil aeration as a result of digging its complex burrow system.
Ecosystem Impact: soil aeration
Hottentot golden moles eat worms, insect larvae, crickets, snails, slugs, and spiders. The moist environment and dew provide them with the amount of water that is needed.
Animal Foods: insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; terrestrial worms
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore , Eats non-insect arthropods, Vermivore)
Amblysomus hottentotus is the most widely distributed species of golden moles in southern Africa. It is found from the southeastern region of South Africa into Swaziland and southern Mozambique.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
The habitat of A. hottentotus is usually the subterranean environment of temperate grasslands with soft soils, but it is also found in coastal forests and savanna woodlands. Amblysomus hottentotus is found from sea level to over 3000 m above sea level and in areas that have a mean rainfall of more than 500 mm. It occupies burrows that can be longer than 200 m and are up to 500 mm deep, with subsurface runs that are only a few centimeters below the surface.
Range elevation: 0 to 3000 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; mountains
The lifespan of A. hottentotus is unknown.
Hottentot golden mole weight ranges from 40 to 101 g, with males being larger than females. Males have a head and body length that ranges from 115 to 145 mm and a mean body weight of 80 g., while females have a head and body length that ranges from 120 to 125 mm and a mean body weight of 66 g. Average skull length is 26 mm and the average width is 15.5 mm.
Hottentot golden moles have a cylindrical shape and are covered in fur that varies from reddish to dark brown. The fur grows back toward the hind area and is darker at the tip of the hair than at the base, it has an irridescent sheen. The fur helps to keep these animals dry from moisture in the ground. Underneath this sleek fur is a woolly undercoat that serves as insulation. The fur on the sides and underparts is gray, and the fur color on the cheeks is pale. The tops of the hind feet are covered in hair that is a blackish color.
Hottentot golden mole eyes are covered in skin and they are completely blind. The external ears are not visible and the openings are covered with fur. A smooth, leathery pad covers the nostrils. All of these openings are covered with fur or skin for protection from sand and dirt as A. hottentotus is burrowing. There is no visible tail, but caudal vertebrae are present. The forelimbs are short and powerful and have 4 claws. The third digit is the largest and, along with the second digit, is used for digging. The first and fourth digits are underdeveloped and basically rudimentary. The hind limbs are short and have five digits that are webbed. Compared to moles of the family Talpidae, Amblysomus have limbs that are positioned more medially, which improves digging.
The cranium of A. hottentotus is broad and the premaxilla is narrow. There are 36 teeth, with a dental formula of 3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 2/2. The molars are zalambdodont and there is a well developed posterior talonid on the lower molars.
Male and female A. hottentotus both have a cloaca, which is an opening for the urogenital system. In males, the penis and testes are inside the body.
Range mass: 40 to 101 g.
Range length: 115 to 145 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Mole snakes, genets, mongooses, and jackals are predators of A. hottentotus. With the ability to sense low frequency vibrations, Hottentot golden moles can detect predators and aviod them by escaping to a hole in their complex burrow systems. At night, when Hottentot golden moles might emerge from their burrows, they are exposed to nocturnal predators like barn owls, Tyto alba.
Known Predators:
Very little is known about the mating systems of A. hottentotus. During courtship males are vocal and make chirrup sounds, they also stamp their feet on the ground. Courtship can be violent because males chase females and force mating. This violence can even lead to the death of females.
Breeding is aseasonal, but fecundity does increase during the rainy season. This occurs because this is the time when food is most abundant and these animals are most active, increasing the possibility of encountering mates. In order to breed, female Hottentot golden moles make a small chamber in their burrows and line it with grass. During the year, a female has several litters, she can even be pregnant while her young are still suckling. Usually 1 to 3 young are born per litter; this small litter size may be related to low predation and high investment per offspring. The young have an average body length of 5 cm, soft claws, and no hair. Females have two pairs of mammae and young suckle until they are 35 to 45 g. When the young reach this weight they are forced out of the burrow.
Breeding interval: Females can have several litters each year, depending on resource availability.
Breeding season: Breeding is aseasonal.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 3.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Females care for their young and nurse them in a nest until they reach a size at which they can be independent.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
The Hottentot golden mole (Amblysomus hottentotus) is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and possibly Lesotho. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry and moist lowland forest and dry shrubland and grassland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, savanna, temperate grassland, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.[2]
It has several subspecies, including the Zulu golden mole (Amblysomus hottentotus iris).
In 2013 it was discovered that Hottentot golden moles prefer mates with larger penises.[3]
The Hottentot golden mole (Amblysomus hottentotus) is a species of mammal in the golden mole family, Chrysochloridae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, and possibly Lesotho. Its natural habitats are temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry and moist lowland forest and dry shrubland and grassland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, savanna, temperate grassland, sandy shores, arable land, pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, and urban areas.
It has several subspecies, including the Zulu golden mole (Amblysomus hottentotus iris).
In 2013 it was discovered that Hottentot golden moles prefer mates with larger penises.
