Giant golden mole

Giant golden mole[1]
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Afrosoricida
Family:	Chrysochloridae
Genus:	Chrysospalax
Species:	C. trevelyani
Binomial name
Chrysospalax trevelyani (Günther, 1875)
Giant golden mole range
Synonyms
Bematiscus trevelyani

The giant golden mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani) is an endangered species of golden mole whose natural habit is the forests of Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.

The species was first collected by Herbert Trevelyan hunting near Pirie Forest near King William's town in British Caffraria. This 10-inch (25 cm) long mole is dark chocolate brown above with whitish underfur. The claws and margin of the lips are whitish. It is blind and has no external ear lobes and lacks a tail.^[3]

References

1. Bronner, G.N.; Jenkins, P.D. (2005). "Order Afrosoricida". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
2. Bronner, G. (2008). "Chrysospalax trevelyani". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
3. Günther, A (1875). "Description of a new species of Chrysochloris from Africa". Proc. Zool. Soc. London: 311–312.