Despite their common name, De Winton’s golden mole is unrelated to the moles. Their name is “golden” because they have oily secretion that lubricates the fur to give an iridescent sheen. Most of them are not golden; they have short, dense fur that is slate grey with a yellowish tinge. Even though they are blind, they have distinctive skeletal characteristics that allow them to detect prey by enhancing underground hearing.
They are mainly threatened by habitat destruction due to large-scale alluvial diamond-mining operations. To make things even worst, they only occupy one locality. They are listed as Critically endangered, but they might already be extinct.
Distribution
South AfricaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
