Amblysomus robustus Bronner 2000
Creators: name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Don E. Wilson
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Afrosoricida
Chrysochloridae
Amblysomus
Amblysomus robustus

description: 2.
Robust Golden Mole
Amblysomus robustus
French: Taupe-dorée de Bronner / German: Robuster Goldmull / Spanish: Topo dorado robusto
Taxonomy. Amblysomus robustus Bronner, 2000,
“Verloren-Vallei Provincial Nature Reserve (25°18°S; 30°08’E), 22 km northeast of Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Elevation 2 150 m a.s.1.” Amblysomus robustus was previously included in A. hottentotus and elevated to full species based on unique karyotype, robust build, and subtle craniometric differences from A. hottentotus and A. septentrionalis. Monotypic.
Distribution. Known only from Steenkampsberg around Lydenburg, Dullstroom, and Belfast, Mpumalanga Province, NE South Africa.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 118-143 mm (males) and 90-138 mm (females), hindfoot 18-19 mm (males) and 13-18 mm (females); weight 72-98 g (males) and 61-73 g (females). The Robust Golden Mole is medium-sized, with robust build and strong claws, and is the largest species of Amblysomus. It has pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males larger than females. It is similar in size and color to the Drakensberg Golden Mole (A. longiceps) and the Highveld Golden Mole (A. septentrionalis). Dorsum of the Robust Golden Mole is dark reddish brown, with bright reddish brown on flanks; dorsum of juveniles is slightly duller, grayish brown to dull orange on flanks. Venter is orange. Yellowish orange cheek patches extend laterally to above subdermal eyes. Skull is elongated, zygomatic arches lack broad plates sweeping backward, mallei of inner ears are relatively small and unspecialized, and bullae are not externally evident. M* are usually absent, molar talonids are well developed, and PI are sectorial (bicuspid) rather than molariform (tricuspid). Foreclaws are strong; claw on third digit is largest. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 36 and FN = 68.
Habitat. Montane grasslands and marshes in Moist Sandy Highveld Grassland biome at elevations of ¢.2000-2100 m. The Robust Golden Mole prefers friable soils but can live in heavier soils common to highveld. It can be found in clay soils, unlike other species of Amblysomus, probably due to its uniquely adapted robust build and strong claws. It avoids shallow substrates along rocky ridges (which might act as dispersal barriers) and waterlogged areas, but it is found in gardens, orchards, and cultivated lands.
Food and Feeding. The Robust Golden Moleis insectivorous, mainly feeding on subterranean invertebrates, with a preference for earthworms. It eats a wide variety of living invertebrate and vertebrate prey in captivity, including mealworms, kingworms, earthworms, and young mice, and it ignores dead prey.
Breeding. Pregnancies and lactation of Robust Golden Moles were recorded in late summer to early autumn (March-April), suggesting that breeding occurs primarily in wet summer seasons.
Activity patterns. Robust Golden Moles are mainly active in late afternoon and at night, and they are torpid during heat of day. They construct two-tiered burrow systems typical of golden moles, with subsurface tunnels for foraging and deeper tunnels (20-80 cm) leading to nesting chambers. Some burrows extend upward into rotting trees, which mightarise from moles foraging for invertebrate prey that are likely to be abundant in these trees or seeking refuge when burrows become waterlogged during heavy rains. Subsurface activity declines in dry winter months when abundance of prey is low. At these times, individuals might enter prolonged torpor spanning several days or confine their foraging to deeper tunnels.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Adult Robust Golden Moles appear to be solitary and fight aggressively if confined together, although this might be due to stress in captivity.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Extent of occurrence of Robust Golden Moles is estimated at just less than 5000 km?, with continuing decline and possible severe fragmentation of habitat. It is currently known from only five locations, but it is probably more widespread than suggested by sparse distributional records. Highveld grasslands favored by Robust Golden Moles are being degraded by mining for shallow coal deposits to fuel numerous power stations that occur in its preferred high-elevation grassland habitats, which is an inferred major threat. Rehabilitation attempts at these sites have been ineffective. Farming, tourism, resort developments, and agroforestry (exotic pine and eucalyptus plantations) have also transformed habitat but less dramatically; these do not appear to pose major threats. The Robust Golden Mole occurs in provincial Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga. Research is currently underway to determine distributional limits of the Robust Golden Mole and to clarify its relationships to the Hottentot Golden Mole (A. hottentotus) and the Highveld Golden Mole using molecular data. Additional research is required to fully understand its basic ecology and reproductive parameters of the Robust Golden Mole.
Bibliography. Bronner (1995a, 2000, 2013b), Mynhardt et al. (2015), Rampartab (2015a).
description: Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Chrysochloridae, pp. 180-203 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 195-196, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6624497