habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
The Cape Mole-rat prefers deep, sandy soils, particularly coastal dunes and sandy alluvial deposits along rivers and montane areas of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape (Skinner and Chimimba 2005) and Mpumalanga (Visser et al. 2016) provinces. Generally, G. capensis is located in mesic areas receiving over 500 mm of rainfall per year. This species is commonly recorded in human-modified environments, such as golf courses, gardens and even at the main campus of the University of Cape Town. However, it is thought to be a habitat specialist that requires areas with vleis or in close proximity to rivers (Visser et al. 2016). Similarly, breeding pattern linked to seasonal rainfall, possibly resulting in distinct breeding seasons for different subpopulations (Visser et al. 2016). In the Cape, this species is found sympatrically with the Common Mole-rat (Cryptomys hottentotus). The subpopulation in Mpumalanga has been recorded in montane grassland areas consisting of red clay and black turf soils (Bronner 1990), and loose or sandy soils around pans (Roberts 1951). The subpopulation in KwaZulu-Natal Province occurs within mesic grasslands on sandy or clay soils, particularly in the midlands (for example, Impendle and Nottingham Road). Overall, the most commonly preferred soil types are derived from sandstone, limestone, shale and quartzite which comprise the sandy loam, cay and alluvium soils that are inhabited (Visser et al. 2016). Predominantly solitary, the Cape Mole-rat produces two litters of between four and ten young each year (Bennett and Jarvis 1988), with a generation length of four years (N.C. Bennett unpubl. data). They are solitary and burrow about 200 mm below the surface (Skinner and Chimimba 2005), and may store food, such as geophytes, in underground chambers (du Toit et al. 1985). They mainly eat plant storage organs. The seismic signal consists of a series of long bursts of very rapid drums (Bennett and Jarvis 1988).As excellent soil engineers, the burrowing activities of subterranean Mole-rats can lead to modification of soil properties, thus enhancing the species richness of vegetation communities (Hagenah and Bennett 2013). Specifically, in the Cape, soils of Cape Mole-rat mounds were found to have higher nitrogen and magnesium levels, when compared to soils unaffected by Mole-rats (Hagenah and Bennett 2013). An increase in species richness, as a result subterranean Mole-rats in the Cape Floristic Region may be particularly important considering the high conservation value of this area. Additionally, they create refuges for other species to use when escaping fire, and limit surface runoff of water by lowering the compactness of soil thus increasing drainage and moisture-holding capacity (Hagenah and Bennett 2013).
