NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



number of local races or sub-species in South Africa. 

 They are all known as Golden Moles, because of 

 the metaUic sheen on the fur, which, in certain 

 lights, appears golden in colour. The majority are 

 coppery-red ; one, which is known as Peter's Golden 

 Mole, is almost black, with a greenish sheen. 



The habits of all the species are more or less similar. 

 They tunnel underground, and only appear on the 

 surface at infrequent intervals. The young are born 

 and reared in a nest — usually of soft grass — ^in one 

 of the burrows. When the season for mating 

 arrives, the rival male Moles fight terrific battles, 

 and those unfitted to propagate their kind are either 

 killed or forced to lead solitary lives. After the 

 fight the victor frequently devours at least part of 

 the body of his rival. 



The Mole is one of the most energetic animal 

 engineers known. Its excessive energy in tunnelling 

 through the soil is prompted by its voracious 

 appetite, which it is obliged to satisfy or perish. 

 With its powerful digging claws it tears away the 

 ground, and casts it up from time to time in the 

 form of the well-known " hills." 



Throughout the night the Mole toils on. It 

 does not tunnel at random in its quest for food. 

 It has a main run or tunnel in which it travels 

 backwards and forwards, and out of the sides of 

 which fresh tunnels are driven at intervals in search 

 of food. When the food-supply is exhausted, the 

 Mole extends its main tunnel, or else emerges to 



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