Giant golden mole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant golden mole |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Chrysospalax
|
| Species: |
trevelyani
|
The giant golden mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani) is a unique small mammal. It lives in Africa. This mole is about 23 centimetres (9.1 in) long. This makes it the biggest of all golden mole species. It has shiny, dark brown fur. The "golden" in its name comes from a Greek word. This word means green-gold. It refers to its family, the Chrysochloridae.
Contents
What Makes This Mole Special?
The giant golden mole lives mostly underground. It has a subterranean lifestyle. It uses its strong front legs to dig. Its claws are large, about 17 millimetres (0.67 in) long.
This mole has no outside tail or ears. Its head is shaped like a wedge. Its eyes are covered by skin. It also has a tough leather pad on its nose.
These moles are about 208–235 millimetres (8.2–9.3 in) long. They weigh between 410–500 grams (14–18 oz). Their fur is dark brown on top. It is lighter underneath.
Their head is a bit darker. They have two dull yellow spots where their eyes would be. There is also a yellow patch near their ear openings. Their fur is long and thick, about 20 millimetres (0.79 in). It is coarser than other golden moles' fur.
How Giant Golden Moles Live
The giant golden mole is the largest and rarest golden mole. It is also one of the most endangered. It spends most of its life underground. These moles are blind and deaf.
They are nocturnal. This means they hunt mostly at night. Sometimes, they hunt during cool, cloudy days too. They are solitary animals. They usually live alone.
However, they might share burrows in winter. They sometimes hibernate among tree roots. They move slightly to stay warm while sleeping.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Female giant golden moles usually have one or two babies at a time. They do this when they have enough food stored.
What Do They Eat?
Giant golden moles dig tunnels up to 10 metres (33 ft) long. These tunnels are semi-permanent. They also use paths on the surface to find food. They might hide in leaf litter while hunting.
They mainly eat millipedes and giant earthworms. They also enjoy crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, other worms, and snails.
Where Do They Live?
The giant golden mole lives underground. It prefers specific places. These are forests with soft soil. They also need deep layers of fallen leaves. And they like areas with lots of plants growing low to the ground.
This mole is only found in South Africa. It lives mostly in a small area. This area is in the Eastern Cape province.
Why Are They Endangered?
The giant golden mole was listed as Endangered in 2010. This means its population is shrinking. The main reason is that their homes are being destroyed.
People collect firewood and cut down trees for building. Livestock eat too much of the plants. All these human activities harm the mole's habitat. Also, domestic dogs sometimes hunt these moles.
Protecting the Giant Golden Mole
Right now, the giant golden mole does not have much protection. It is not a main animal that people focus on saving. More research is needed to help this species. We need to find out how many are left. This will help us protect them better.
