A fascinating and highly specialized rodent that lives almost entirely underground in the southwestern regions of South Africa. Unlike the more famous naked mole-rat of East Africa, the Cape mole-rat belongs to a different group called bathyergids, or African mole-rats, and it’s known for being both solitary and secretive. With its stocky body, strong front teeth, and short, powerful limbs, it’s perfectly designed for digging through compact soil, creating an underground world that supports its entire lifestyle—from feeding to nesting to escaping predators.

One of the standout characteristics of the Cape mole-rat is its digging ability. It doesn’t use its paws to dig like many burrowing animals—instead, it uses its large, chisel-like incisors to break through soil, often closing its lips behind its teeth to keep dirt out of its mouth. It then pushes the loosened soil backward using its feet and body. Its tunnels are extensive and often complex, sometimes stretching dozens of meters underground. These burrows protect it from predators like owls, snakes, and mongooses, and also provide access to its favorite food: roots, tubers, and underground plant stems.

Unlike many social mole-rats such as the naked mole-rat or Damaraland mole-rat, the Cape mole-rat is strictly solitary. Each individual maintains its own tunnel system, and interactions between adults are rare outside of the breeding season. Males will sometimes wander above ground in search of females, but even then, the encounters are brief. After mating, the female raises her young alone in a specially dug nesting chamber.

The Cape mole-rat has such powerful jaw muscles that it can bite with nearly the same force as a dog—relative to its size! Its teeth never stop growing, which helps it manage the wear and tear from digging through tough soil. Also, while rarely seen above ground, its presence is betrayed by small, volcano-like mounds of soil, much like a gopher’s.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

South Africa

LC

2017