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A
Guide to the: Common Molerat - Cryptomys hottentotus
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Molerats constitute
a family of rodents confined to Africa. They bear a close resemblance
to moles, both in looks and burrowing habits. The Common Molerat is
one of the most widely distributed molerats in the subregion. Unlike
moles, molerats are not insectivorous: they are vegetarians, and eat
fleshy roots, bulbs, tubers, and the underground stolons of several
grasses: to this end they have formidable projecting incisors. They
also retain their eyes (virtually absent in many moles), although these
don't function very well, except in a different way: the corneas are
very sensitive to air currents. These and the equally sensitive whiskers
and bristle-like hairs on the feet alert the molerat when its burrow
has been damaged, which it then quickly repairs. Common molerats live
in small colonies (up to 14 individuals) in burrows which they excavate
with their incisors and the long claws of their forefeet. Soil loosened
in this process is thrown up in a series of mounds, which are well-known
to garderners. After rain, molerats burrow more eagerly than ever, constructing
tunnels 15 - 20 cm below the surface. They may travel overland at night
in search of better feeding grounds: it is then that they are particularly
susceptible to predators, such as barn owls.
More facts about Common Molerats
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