by Bonnie Taylor

Created on: December 07, 2011   Last Updated: December 11, 2011

The Cape Dune mole rat, Bathyergus suillus, is a subterranean rodent indigenous to South Africa. It is the largest member of the blesmol group of rodents which includes several African burrowing species that are adapted for digging using their incisors and fore-claws. Lip-like flaps in the mouth close behind the incisors allowing these creatures to use their powerful teeth for digging without getting soil in their mouths. Though the Cape Dune mole rat has this adaptation, the consistency of the soil in their habitat makes them less likely to use it. They are more apt to use their claws for digging, kicking the sandy soil behind them to form a signature mound.

Physical characteristics

The Cape Dune mole rat is a larger burrowing rodent reaching an adult length of between 11 and 14 inches. Males tend to be heavier than females but both sexes are heavy-bodied with short limbs, stout tails, and blunt snouts. They have a heavy coat of thick brown to grey fur with no markings. The large, protruding incisors are their most dominant feature.

Range and habitat

This species can be found throughout the Western Cape Province of South Africa ranging from Knysna to Lamberts Bay. It has also been recorded in parts of the Northern Cape Province. Its range on the west coast of South Africa may or may not be continuous.

The Cape Dune mole rat is found in areas consisting of loose, loamy sands found on the coast and along the banks of rivers. It prefers areas with sand-born vegetation and has been known to make its home under man-made landscapes including agricultural fields, golf courses, and tennis courts where its undesirable mound construction makes it a pest rodent.

Behavior and reproduction

The Cape Dune mole rat is a solitary creature except during mating seasons. It is considered a locally abundant species meaning as many as several hundred Cape Dune mole rats may inhabit a very small geographic range. Their diet consists primarily of grasses that are pulled into the burrow by the root. They are also known to consume bulbs and tubers. They rarely, if ever, travel above ground so they are not traditionally diurnal or nocturnal but may be active at any time of the night and day with peak activity seeming to occur in the afternoon.

The breeding season of the Cape Dune mole rat coincides with the rainy season of their habitat and runs from April to November. They are said to signal their readiness for breeding by drumming on the floor of their burrows with their feet. After a gestation period of about two months, females give birth to litters consisting of up to six young with an average litter size of three. The young are born blind and weigh between one and two ounces. Their eyes open at about seven days old and they begin taking solid food by day twelve. They are mature enough to leave their nest by the end of their first month at which time litter-mates will demonstrate mild aggression and eventually disperse to establish their own burrows.

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