Cryptomys hottentotus (Lesson, 1826)

Cryptomys hottentotus, commonly called the common mole-rat, African mole-rat, or Hottentot mole-rat, is a burrowing rodent in the subfamily Bathyerginae. This species is found in Southern Africa, with a core range in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and it also occurs in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Colony Social Structure

Common mole-rats live in colonies that function as family groups, where only the largest female and largest male are the reproductive pair.

Mating Period

Mating takes place starting in September and October.

Courtship Behavior

During courtship, the female raises her tail to allow the male to smell her genital region. The male then gently chews her hind region before mounting and mating.

Litter Characteristics

Offspring are only born during southern hemisphere summer, and a pair may produce one or two litters per breeding season with up to five pups per litter.

Gestation and Maturity

The species has a gestation period of approximately 81 days. Individuals reach reproductive maturity at an average of 450 days old, and females retain reproductive function even during non-reproductive months.

Habitat and Substrate Range

Common mole-rats are fully fossorial, meaning they live almost entirely underground, and can occupy a wide range of different soil substrates.

Diet

They are herbivorous, feeding primarily on geophytes (plants with underground storage organs) and grass rhizomes.

Population and Distribution

While the species is very widespread across its range, its overall total abundance is not well documented. Its distribution is localized in some areas due to specific soil requirements.

Burrow Function

The burrowing systems built by this species are structured to optimize access to food sources, particularly geophytes.

Economic Impacts

Common mole-rat burrowing has mixed economic impacts for humans: it causes damage to human property, but also provides the benefit of improving soil drainage and soil turnover.