Cape golden mole

Chrysochloris asiatica
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]

References