Giant golden mole

The giant golden mole has a subterranean lifestyle. across the base, powerful forelimbs, no external tail or ears, wedge-shaped head, leather pad, and skin covering the eyes. It is approximately in length and in weight. sometimes with a darker line down the mid-throat. Its coloration is slightly darker on the head, with two dull yellow patches where the eyes would be, and a yellow patch around the ear openings. Its hair is longer and coarser than any other species of golden mole: about long, thick, with dense, woolly underfur. == Biology ==

The largest, rarest, and most endangered of all 17 species of golden moles, the giant golden mole spends most of its time underground and is blind and deaf. It is nocturnal, hunting mostly at night, but also in some cool and cloudy daytime conditions. Diet The giant golden mole digs semi-permanent tunnels about in length linked by surface runways for hunting food and may feed on the surface hiding in the leaf litter. It eats mainly millipedes and giant earthworms, but also crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, worms, and snails. == Habitat ==

The giant golden mole is a subterranean small mammal, living in chambers and passages underneath a very specific habitat, forests with soft soil, deep leaf litter layers, and well-developed undergrowth. The giant golden mole is endemic to South Africa, mostly in a restricted area in the Eastern Cape. == Population ==

Status The giant golden mole was classified as Endangered (EN) in 2010 on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The population is decreasing due to habitat loss resulting mainly from human activities affecting its habitat such as firewood collection, bark stripping, cutting for construction, overgrazing of livestock, and clearance of forest. Moreover, the giant golden mole is preyed on by domestic dogs in that area. Conservation The giant golden mole currently receives little protection, and is not a main conservation target. Research is needed to protect this species and to assess the status and viability of the remaining populations. == References ==