Amblysomus marleyi, Roberts, 1931

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Chrysochloridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 180-203 : 196-197

4.

Marley’s Golden Mole

Amblysomus marleyi

French: Taupe-dorée de Marley / German: Marley-Goldmull / Spanish: Topo dorado de Marley

Taxonomy. Amblysomus marley: Roberts, 1931 ,

Ubombo, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Amblysomus marley : was previously treated as a subspecies of A. hottentotus . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from only two isolated localities (Ingwavuma and Ubombo) on E slopes of Lebombo Mts, KwaZulu-Natal Province, E South Africa; owl pellet remains from Weenen, ¢.250 km SW of type locality, appear to represent this species, suggesting that it is more widespread than currently recognized. Possibly extends into SE Swaziland along the Lebombo Mts.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 96-105 mm (males) and 90-120 mm (females), hindfoot 11-13 mm (males) and 10-13 mm (females); weight 30-34 g. Marley’s

Golden Mole is small, with delicate build and fine foreclaws. Dorsum is dark reddish brown; venter is gray-brown to dull orange. Throat is paler and redder than flanks. Muzzle and cheeks are paler than dorsal pelage, often with broad white band behind nose pad that extends to near 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 absent, molar talonids are well developed, and P1 are sectorial (bicuspid) rather than molariform (tricuspid). Foreclaw on third digit is largest. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30 and FN = 56.

Habitat. Moist grasslands and indigenous forests in Natal Lowveld Bushveld and Lebombo Arid-Mountain Bushveld of Savanna biome at elevations of ¢.489-695 m. Marley’s Golden Mole does not occur below mountains on the Mozambique coastal plain, where it is replaced by the Yellow Golden Mole ( Calcochloris obtusirostris ). Marley's Golden Mole also occurs in gardens.

Food and Feeding. Marley's Golden Mole is insectivorous, presumably feeding on subterranean invertebrates such as earthworms and insects.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Marley's Golden Mole is terrestrial and predominantly nocturnal. It constructs subsurface foraging tunnels and deeper burrows with nesting chambers that are usually situated among roots of trees or under large rocks. Entrances to deep tunnels are sometimes marked by small mounds ofsoil.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but adult Marley’s Golden Moles are considered solitary.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Marley’s Golden Mole is known from two isolated locations 49 km apart, with estimated extent of occurrence of 1563 km? and area of occupancy of only 32 km*. Overgrazing and poor agricultural practices by growing low-income subsistence farming communities have caused and continue to cause habitat degradation and probable ongoing declines in area of occupancy, numbers of individuals, and quality of suitable habitat. Marley’s Golden Mole occurs in the Pongola Wilderness Area.

Bibliography. Bronner (1995a, 1996, 2013b), Bronner & Mynhardt (2015c), Mynhardt et al. (2015), Skinner & Chimimba (2005).

Figures

0. Yellow Golden Mole (Calcochloris obtusirostris), 1. Hottentot Golden Mole (Amblysomus hottentotus), 2. Robust Golden Mole (Amblysomus robustus), 3. Highveld Golden Mole (Amblysomus septentrionalis), 4. Marley’s Golden Mole (Amblysomus marleyi), 5. Fynbos Golden Mole (Amblysomus corriae), 7. Congo Golden Mole (Huetia leucorhina), 8. Somali Golden Mole (Huetia tytonis), 9. Gunning’s Golden Mole (Neamblysomus gunningi), 10. Juliana’s Golden Mole (Neamblysomus julianae), 11. Arend’s Golden Mole (Carpitalpa arendsi), 12. Sclater’s Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa sclateri), 13. Duthie’s Golden Mole (Chlorotalpa duthieae), 14. Stuhlmann’s Golden Mole (Chrysochloris stuhlmanni), 15. Cape Golden Mole (Chrysochloris asiatica), 16. Visagie’s Golden Mole (Chrysochloris visagier), 17. Rough-haired Golden Mole (Chrysospalax villosa), 18. Giant Golden Mole (Chrysospalax trevelyani), 19. De Winton’s Golden Mole (Cryptochloris wintoni), 20. Van Zyl's Golden Mole (Cryptochloris zyli), 21. Grant's Golden Mole (Eremitalpa grant)

Distribution. Known from only two isolated localities (Ingwavuma and Ubombo) on E slopes of Lebombo Mts, KwaZulu-Natal Province, E South Africa; owl pellet remains from Weenen, ¢.250 km SW of type locality, appear to represent this species, suggesting that it is more widespread than currently recognized. Possibly extends into SE Swaziland along the Lebombo Mts.