Nigerian mole-rat
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Fukomys foxi

The Nigerian mole-rat (Fukomys foxi ) is a species of rodent in the family Bathyergidae. It is found in northern Nigeria and Cameroon. A colonial, subterranean species, its natural habitats are tropical dry lowland grassland, riverside woodland and rocky places.

Appearance

The Nigerian mole-rat has been little studied. It is a small species with adults having a head and body length averaging 145 millimetres (5.7 in) with the largest individuals reaching 160 millimetres (6.3 in). The short dense fur is black with a patch of white on the head and sometimes some white markings on the underside.

Distribution

Geography

Continents
Biogeographical realms

The original specimens came from a single location on the Jos Plateau in northern Nigeria, and a further six specimens were obtained from the same region in 1966. This mole-rat is also found in the countryside around Ngaoundéré in Cameroon, where it is common in some localities. Its natural habitat is grassland, wooded areas beside streams and rocky areas. It lives in underground colonies with extensive systems of tunnels.

Biome

Population

Population number

The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers this species too poorly known for it to assess its conservation status so it has rated it as "data deficient". The Jos Plateau has fertile soils and is used for the growing of crops such as potatoes which cannot be grown in other parts of the country. Whether increasing agriculture and deforestation due to collection of firewood will impact on the species is not known, but other species of mole-rat have adapted to increasing amounts of agriculture.

References

1. Nigerian mole-rat Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_mole-rat
2. Nigerian mole-rat on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/5754/22184832

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About