Golden mole
Golden moles Temporal range: | |
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Cape golden mole | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Afrosoricida |
Suborder: | Chrysochloridea Broom, 1915 |
Family: | Chrysochloridae Gray, 1825 |
Type genus | |
Chrysochloris Lacépède, 1799 | |
Genera | |
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Range map of the subfamilies of Chrysochloridae |
Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae (the only family in the suborder Chrysochloridea) and as such they are taxonomically distinct from the true moles, family Talpidae, and other mole-like families, all of which, to various degrees, they resemble as a result of evolutionary convergence. There are 21 species. Some (e.g., Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus) are relatively common, whereas others (e.g., species of Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris, Neamblysomus) are rare and endangered.
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