Activity Patterns in the Mole-Rats Tachyoryctes Splendens and Heliophobius Argenteocinereus

Abstract

Activity in two unrelated genera of mol~rats, Tachyoryctes and Heiiophobius, was studied in the field by recording the movements of animals tagged with radioactive wire. Tachyoryctes shows a single marked activity peak and only leaves its nest between 10.00 and 19.00 hour. Heiiophobills shows a more dispersed and prolonged activity pattern although peak activity occurs over approximately the same period as in Tachyoryctes. Heilophoblus spends over 50 % of the day out of its nest, Tachyoryctes, under 25%.