Cryptochloris

Cryptochloris is a mammalian genus from the family of golden moles ( Chrysochloridae ). The two species of this genus live in the western South Africa and are both at high risk.

Features

The animals of this genus resemble in physique like all golden moles the moles with whom they are not related. The body is adapted to a grave lifestyle, the forelimbs are modified into claws grave. The fur of these animals is colored lead- gray in sunlight and can have a purplish metallic luster. In contrast to most other gold Mullen, who have only one or two grave claws on the front paws, they each have three. These animals can reach a length of 8-9 centimeters, a tail does not exist.

Dissemination and lifestyle

The two species of this genus each inhabit only a small area of ​​west Africa. They live in deserts and other dry habitats and inhabit some of the same regions as the Wüstengoldmull. You lead a largely underground lifestyle. For the rest, they retreat to deeper, self-dug burrows, foraging occurs near the surface, where the scale of these transitions are not durable due to the dry substrate.

Their diet consists besides insects even from legless skinks of the genus Typhlosaurus.

The types

• The De - Winton Goldmull ( Cryptochloris wintoni ) lives in a small area on the coast of Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. For more than a hundred years, no specimen was caught. In addition, the mining and the development of their habitat result in touristy occupied territory to the fact that the nature of the IUCN as threatened with extinction ( critically endangered ) is listed.
• The Van Zyl - Goldmull ( Cryptochloris Zyli ) was originally only a small area just to the south, near Lamberts Bay in the Western Cape Province known. In 2003 another population of this species was discovered in the vicinity, which could indicate that the species is more common than feared. Nevertheless, it is listed by the IUCN as endangered ( endangered ).