Golden mole

Golden moles; Temporal range:
	Amblysomus hottentotus observed in Palmiet Nature Reserve near Durban, South Africa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Afrosoricida
Suborder:	Chrysochloridea; Broom, 1915
Family:	Chrysochloridae; Gray, 1825
Type genus
	Chrysochloris; Lacépède, 1799
Genera
	Eremitalpa Roberts, 1924 ; Chrysospalax Gill, 1883 ; Chrysochloris Lacépède, 1799 ; Cryptochloris Shortridge & Carter, 1938 ; Carpitalpa Lundholm, 1955 ; Huetia Forcart, 1942 ; Chlorotalpa Roberts, 1924 ; Calcochloris Mivart, 1867 ; Amblysomus Pomel, 1848 ; Neamblysomus Roberts, 1924 ; †Damarachloris Pickford, 2019 ; †Diamantochloris Pickford, 2015 ; †Namachloris Pickford, 2015 ; †Proamblysomus Broom, 1941 ; †Prochrysochloris Butler & Hopwood, 1957 ;
	Range map of the subfamilies of Chrysochloridae

Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise 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.

^ Martin Pickford (2015). "Chrysochloridae (Mammalia) from the Lutetian (Middle Eocene) of Black Crow, Namibia" (PDF). Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia. 16: 105–113.
^ Bronner, G.N.; Jenkins, P.D. (2005). "Order Afrosoricida". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 77–81. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

[1] Martin Pickford (2015). "Chrysochloridae (Mammalia) from the Lutetian (Middle Eocene) of Black Crow, Namibia" (PDF). Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia. 16: 105–113.

[msw3-2] Bronner, G.N.; Jenkins, P.D. (2005). "Order Afrosoricida". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 77–81. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

[2]

[1]

Golden moles^[2] Temporal range:

Amblysomus hottentotus observed in Palmiet Nature Reserve near Durban, South Africa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Afrosoricida
Suborder:	Chrysochloridea Broom, 1915
Family:	Chrysochloridae Gray, 1825
Type genus
Chrysochloris Lacépède, 1799
Genera
Eremitalpa Roberts, 1924 Chrysospalax Gill, 1883 Chrysochloris Lacépède, 1799 Cryptochloris Shortridge & Carter, 1938 Carpitalpa Lundholm, 1955 Huetia Forcart, 1942 Chlorotalpa Roberts, 1924 Calcochloris Mivart, 1867 Amblysomus Pomel, 1848 Neamblysomus Roberts, 1924 †Damarachloris Pickford, 2019 †Diamantochloris Pickford, 2015 †Namachloris Pickford, 2015 †Proamblysomus Broom, 1941 †Prochrysochloris Butler & Hopwood, 1957


Range map of the subfamilies of Chrysochloridae