Giant mole-rats, fukomys mechowii, 13 years on the stage

Abstract

Fukomys - a new genus of bathyergid mole-rats recently emancipated from the genus Cryptomys - comprises African mole-rat species from out of South Africa (Ingram et al. 2004; Kock et al. 2006). Fukomys mole-rats are remarkably polymorphic (Rosevear 1969; Ansell 1978; Honeycutt et al. 1991; Burda et al. 1999), so that it is not possible to provide unambiguous diagnostic morphological traits or measurements. Whereas most of the Fukomys and Cryptomys mole-rat species show only subtle morphological differences, and can be diagnosed on their karyological, genetic or allozymic base, one species is markedly different: the giant mole-rat, Fukomysmechowii. In fact, indigenous people in various localities of Zambia distinguish between giant and "common" mole-rats even by name (kakoko and shilufukwe or mfuko, respectively).