The reproductive biology and postnatal development of the highveld mole-rat, <i>Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae</i> (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)

Abstract

The highveld mole rat, Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae, occurs in the summer rainfall grasslands of northern South Africa. It is a colonial bathyergid in which reproduction is restricted to a single female. Courtship and copulation are initiated by the male mole rat. Copulation is prolonged and involves multiple bouts of intromission. The gestation length is 63 66 days (n = 2). Newborn pups are altricial and the litter sizes small, averaging 1.6 ± 0.8 (n = 6). The pups are small 2 2.5 cm in length and hairless at birth. They begin to eat solids at day 14 ± 1.6 and are fully weaned after 33 days. Sibling sibling sparring occurs at day 40. The growth rate of the highveld mole rat is best described by the Gompertz model. The growth rate for a period of 318 days ranged from 0.23 0.39 g/day. The males had a growth rate spanning 0.36 0.39 g/day, whereas the female was 0.23 g/day. The reproductive biology of the highveld mole rat is compared with that of other southern and central African Cryptomys.

Key words: reproduction, mole rat, growth, postnatal development, gestation.