Northeast African mole-rat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northeast African mole-rat
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Spalacidae
Genus:	Tachyoryctes
Species:	T. splendens
Binomial name
Tachyoryctes splendens (Rüppell, 1835)
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The northeast African mole-rat (Tachyoryctes splendens) is a type of rodent. Rodents are a group of mammals that includes mice, rats, and squirrels. This mole-rat belongs to the Spalacidae family. You can find it living in countries like Ethiopia, Somalia, and northwest Kenya.

These mole-rats like to live in different kinds of places. Their natural habitats include wet montane forests (forests on mountains), dry savannas, and high-up areas with shrubland and grassland. They live alone underground in their burrows. Female mole-rats usually have two litters of babies each year, during the two rainy seasons. Sometimes, this species and a few others in the same group are all called the East African mole-rat.

Where Northeast African Mole-Rats Live

The northeast African mole-rat makes its home in the high-up areas of Ethiopia, Somalia, and northwest Kenya. They can be found at heights of up to 3,300 meters (about 10,800 feet) in Ethiopia. In other places, they live at heights up to 3,000 meters (about 9,800 feet).

This animal can live in many different environments. It is an adaptable species, meaning it can adjust to various places. You might find them in savannas, moist tropical forests, or even on farms. They also live in pastures, coffee farms, and gardens.

How Northeast African Mole-Rats Behave

The northeast African mole-rat is a fossorial animal. This means it spends most of its life digging and living underground. Each mole-rat lives by itself in a network of tunnels. African mole-rats mostly use their strong teeth, nose, and the top of their head to dig these underground channels.

Scientists have found that these mole-rats have very complex smell systems. Their sense of smell is highly developed. This special trait might have grown stronger because they live alone underground. It helps them find their way and sense their surroundings.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Female mole-rats are ready to have babies when they are about 120 days old. The time between one litter of babies and the next is usually around 173 days. On average, a female mole-rat has about two babies in each litter.

The young are born during the middle of the rainy seasons. These seasons happen from April to July and again from November to December. Sometimes, the areas where these mole-rats live can get flooded. When this happens, tests show that the northeast African mole-rat can swim for two minutes or more. They can also walk on the ground for up to 80 meters (about 260 feet). They walk at a speed of about 7 meters (23 feet) per minute. After walking, they can quickly dig a new burrow.

Researchers think that floods might encourage these animals to move to new areas. They also believe that wet ground makes it easier for them to dig new homes. This helps them spread out to different places.

Communicating Underground

Northeast African mole-rats can send signals to each other by hitting their heads against the ceiling of their tunnels. These signals are like vibrations in the ground. They can make fast signals, which might help them recognize other mole-rats. They can also make slow signals, which could be a warning to others.

Is the Mole-Rat Safe?

The northeast African mole-rat is common in most of the places it lives. Its population seems to be steady, meaning there are enough of them. This animal does not face any big threats right now.

Because of this, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists it as "Least Concern" on its Red List of Threatened Species. This means they are not currently worried about this species becoming endangered. However, the IUCN looked at this species as part of the larger group of East African mole-rats. This group includes several similar species.