Visagie's golden mole

Visagies Goldmull ( Chrysochloris visagiei ) is a poorly understood mammal of the genus Kapgoldmulle ( Chrysochloris ) in the family of golden moles ( Chrysochloridae ). He is known only from the holotype, which was collected in 1949 by Captain Guy Chester Shortridge at Gouna in the Northern Cape. The specific epithet honors ihj Visagie, the owner of the farm on which this species was discovered.

Features

The only known specimen has a length of 106 mm. The coat is light yellowish - brown olive. The face is slightly brighter than the rest of the body. Visagies Goldmull is very similar to the Cape Goldmull ( Chrysochloris asiatica ). The hammer bone in the middle ear, however, is relatively wider. The first front claw is much shorter than the second. As with all members of the genus, a temporal bone is present.

Status

To date, some uncertainty about whether it is in fact a valid taxon or to a annormales copy of the Cape Goldmulls at Chrysochloris visagiei. While two independent excursions over a period of 20 years, failed employee of the museum Kaffrarian track (now Amathole Museum ), new specimens of Visagies Goldmull. Gouna, where the type specimen was discovered, is located in the arid Nama Karoo. The region consists of slate floor, which appears unsuitable as a habitat for golden moles. Also in the cultivated tracts of land along the banks of the rivers Vis and Renoster no signs of Goldmull activities could be detected. Therefore, there is the possibility that the type specimen does not represent a distinct species, but a Cape Goldmull, was transported by humans after Gouna either, or has passed through a migration from a more suitable habitat in the West in the region; probably via the Fish River system. The IUCN lists Visagies Goldmull in category " insufficient data " ( data deficient ). Due to the extensive farming of habitat in the type locality was changed dramatically. However, the effects of these transformations can not be assessed before not the uncertainties as to the exact origin of the type of copy have been removed and / or the habitat requirements of this species are known.