AnAge entry for Cryptomys anselli

Classification (HAGRID: 02842)

Taxonomy: Kingdom: Animalia
    Phylum: Chordata
        Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
            Order: Rodentia
                Family: Bathyergidae
                    Genus: Cryptomys
Species: Cryptomys anselli
Common name: Ansell's mole-rat
Synonyms: Coetomys anselli

IMR: Not yet available
MRDT: 2 years
Maximum longevity: 20.6 years (captivity)
Source: Philip Dammann and Hynek Burda, pers. comm.
Sample size: Medium
Data quality: Acceptable
Observations: One male caught in the wild as an adult lived 19.6 years in the lab, making it at least 20.6 years old when he died. Aged animals appear to lose weight, often have a humped backbone, and become less active. The record holding male stopped reproducing 2-3 years before he died. Females have been known to breed until about 15 years of age. These animals become sexually mature in their second year of life, though they generally can only reproduce when somewhat older, depending on body weight and social environment: individuals left within their natal groups grow more slowly than individuals that have been separated early (Philip Dammann and Hynek Burda, pers. comm.). Both female and male breeders live longer and might age slower than non-breeders [0696]. The MRDT was estimated from mortality data of breeders. Other studies have shown similar results, with breeders living up to twice as long and having higher metabolic rates when compared with non-breeders, a characteristic that makes them a unique case amongst mammals [1346]. There is some controversy concerning the taxonomy of this relatively new species [0533]. It is also called /Coetomys anselli/ by some authors.

No information on metabolism is available.

[1346] Schielke et al. (2017), Higher resting metabolic rate in long-lived breeding Ansell's mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) (PubMed)
[1347] Henning et al. (2014), Unusual ratio between free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine in a long-lived mole-rat species with bimodal ageing (PubMed)
[0941] Dammann et al. (2012), Advanced glycation end-products as markers of aging and longevity in the long-lived Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli) (PubMed)
[0696] Dammann and Burda (2006), Sexual activity and reproduction delay ageing in a mammal (PubMed)
[0533] Burda et al. (1999), The karyotypes of Cryptomys anselli sp. nova and Cryptomys kafuensis sp. nova: new species of the common mole-rat from Zambia (Rodentia, Bathyergidae)
[0702] Begall and Burda (1998), Reproductive characteristics and growth rate in eusocial Zambian common mole-rats (Cryptomys sp., Bathyergidae)