Golden mole
| Golden moles Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| Amblysomus hottentotus observed in Palmiet Nature Reserve near Durban, South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| 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 belong to 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.