16-480: † Afrodon † Dilambdogale † Protenrec † Todralestes † Widanelfarasia ?† Adapisoriculidae Chrysochloridea Tenrecomorpha The clade Afrosoricida (a Latin-Greek compound name which means "looking like African shrews") contains the golden moles of Southern Africa , the otter shrews of equatorial Africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar . These three groups of small mammals were for most of
32-615: A number of small-bodied, faunivorous niches in Madagascar (tenrecines) and mainland Africa (potamogalines). However, certain species bear some ecological similarity to hedgehogs, soricid shrews, or miniature otters. Their coat can vary from smooth to spiny and the coloration of the fur can also vary from brown, gray, to other hues (see for example photos on the ASM library). Most species are also nocturnal and have poor eyesight. Their whiskers are rather sensitive and they can detect very minute vibrations in
48-447: Is solitary ; it does not form groups, despite some social behavior such as hibernating in others' burrows among the roots of trees in winter, only moving slightly to keep its body temperature in range and twitching to maintain body temperature while sleeping. Female giant golden moles give birth to one or two offspring at a time while it has stocks of food supply. The acanthocephalan Heptamegacanthus niekerki has been found parasitizing
64-466: Is a subterranean small mammal , living in chambers and passages underneath a very specific habitat, forests with soft soil, deep leaf litter layers, and well-developed undergrowth. The giant golden mole is endemic to South Africa , mostly in a restricted area in the Eastern Cape . The giant golden mole was classified as Endangered (EN) in 2010 on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The population
80-410: Is decreasing due to habitat loss resulting mainly from human activities affecting its habitat such as firewood collection, bark stripping, cutting for construction, overgrazing of livestock, and clearance of forest. Moreover, the giant golden mole is preyed on by domestic dogs in that area. The giant golden mole currently receives little protection, and is not a main conservation target. Research
96-405: Is longer and coarser than any other species of golden mole: about 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long, thick, with dense, woolly underfur. The largest, rarest, and most endangered of all 17 species of golden moles, the giant golden mole spends most of its time underground and is blind and deaf . It is nocturnal , hunting mostly at night, but also in some cool and cloudy daytime conditions. It
112-1240: Is not an Insectivore". These opinions are now supported by many genetic studies indicating an association between tenrecoids and various other African mammals in the Afrotheria . Tenrecs and golden moles are sometimes considered part of the Afroinsectiphilia , a clade within Afrotheria. The generally accepted cladogram of living Afrosoricida is: E. granti K. stuhlmanni C. asiatica C. wintoni Chrysospalax trevelyani Calcochloris obtusirostris C. duthieae C. sclateri A. hottentotus A. marleyi A. septentrionalis A. arendsi A. gunningi A. julianae M. lamottei M. ruwenzorii P. velox Hemicentetes semispinosus Tenrec ecaudatus Echinops telfairi Setifer setosus G. aurita O. hova M. talazaci M. dobsoni M. cowani M. brevicaudata M. grandidieri M. mergulus M. pusilla M. majori M. principula M. longicaudata Afrodon Too Many Requests If you report this error to
128-522: Is the largest of the golden mole species. This mole has dark, glossy brown fur; the name golden comes from the Greek word for green-gold, also the source of the name of the family, Chrysochloridae . The giant golden mole has a subterranean lifestyle . It has large claws around 17 millimetres (0.67 in) long and 7 millimetres (0.28 in) across the base, powerful forelimbs, no external tail or ears, wedge-shaped head, leather pad, and skin covering
144-552: The 19th and 20th centuries regarded as a part of the Insectivora or Lipotyphla , but both of those groups, as traditionally used, are polyphyletic . Some biologists use Tenrecoidea or Tenrecomorpha as the name for the tenrec-golden mole clade and regard Afrosoricida as a junior synonym (even though the rules of the ICZN do not apply above the Linnean rank of family). This is based on
160-533: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 453338773 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 06:54:35 GMT Chrysospalax trevelyani The giant golden mole ( Chrysospalax trevelyani ) is a small mammal found in Africa . At 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length, it
176-425: The admittedly confusing history of terms like Tenrecoidea and Tenrecomorpha. Asher & Helgen presented their views on the appropriateness of these and other high-level taxa, including a response to Hedges, who supported keeping "Afrosoricida". As a rule, tenrecs and otter shrews tend to be small animals varying from 4 cm to 39 cm in length. There is no pronounced body type since they have evolved to occupy
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#1732863275569192-404: The eyes. It is approximately 208–235 millimetres (8.2–9.3 in) in length and 410–500 grams (14–18 oz) in weight. Its skin is dark and brown on the upper parts and faded on the underparts, sometimes with a darker line down the mid-throat. Its coloration is slightly darker on the head, with two dull yellow patches where the eyes would be, and a yellow patch around the ear openings. Its hair
208-404: The giant golden mole by attaching to the wall of the rectum. The giant golden mole digs semi-permanent tunnels about 10 metres (33 ft) in length linked by surface runways for hunting food and may feed on the surface hiding in the leaf litter. It eats mainly millipedes and giant earthworms , but also crickets , cockroaches , grasshoppers , worms , and snails . The giant golden mole
224-516: The ground to locate their prey. Traditionally, these two families were grouped with the hedgehogs , shrews and moles in the Lipotyphla . However, there have always been minority opinions suggesting that Tenrecoidea, or at least the golden moles, are not true lipotyphlans. For example, Robert Broom wrote in 1916 that "examination of the skull confirms ... that Chrysochloris is not a near ally of Centetes " (i.e., Tenrec ecaudatus ) "and that it
240-470: The name Tenrecoidea for the same clade of golden moles and tenrecs. Gary Bronner and Paula Jenkins referred to "Afrosoricida" in their chapter in Wilson & Reeder as "... inappropriate since this clade does not include soricids, and could lead to confusion with the soricid subgenus Afrosorex " but still kept it due to their perception that the name was "entrenched in the recent literature" and because of
256-419: The principles of Simpson, summarized by Asher & Helgen to mean that "priority and stability should comprise the overriding principles by which new, high-level taxa are named. Established names for any given clade should not be altered unless the name with precedent unambiguously threatens stability." When "Afrosoricida" was first named in 1998, Afrosorex was a subgenus of Crocidura and McDowell had used
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