Somali golden mole

The Somali golden mole (Calcochloris tytonis) is a golden mole endemic to Somalia. In 1964, Dr. Alberto Simonetta of the University of Florence discovered the mole's jaw and ear bone fragments in a barn owl pellet in Jowhar, Somalia.^[2] The Somali golden mole differs from the other species in its family (Chrysochloridae) because the shape of its jaw is distinct; although the length of the lower jaw fits within the size range of the skulls of species Amblysomus leucorhinus and Amblysomus sclateri, the width of the ascending parts of the jaw is much bigger (2mm) than that of the species it most closely matches (Amblysomus leucorhinus). ^[3]

Somali golden mole
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Afrosoricida
Family:	Chrysochloridae
Genus:	Calcochloris
Species:	C. tytonis
Binomial name
Calcochloris tytonis (Simonetta, 1968)
Somali golden mole range
Synonyms
Amblysomus tytonis Chlorotalpa tytonis

References

1. Maree, S. (2015). "Calcochloris tytonis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T4767A21285700. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T4767A21285700.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. Girling, Richard (2014). The Hunt for the Golden Mole: All Creatures Great and Small and Why They Matter. UK: Chatto & Windus. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-61902-450-2.
3. Simonetta, A. M. (1968). A New Golden Mole From Somalia With an Appendix on the Taxonomy of the Family Chrysochloridae (Mammalia, Insectivora). Monitore Zoologico Italiano. Supplemento, 2:1, 27–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/03749444.1968.10736749

• Bronner, G.N.; Jenkins, P.D. (2005). "Order Afrosoricida". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.