AnAge entry for Cryptomys mechowii
Classification (HAGRID: 02845)
- Taxonomy
-
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia (Taxon entry)
Order: Rodentia
Family: Bathyergidae
Genus: Cryptomys
- Species
- Cryptomys mechowii
- Common name
- Giant mole-rat
- Synonyms
- Cryptomys mechowi
Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
- Maximum longevity
- 20 years (wild)
- Source
- ref. 1375
- Sample size
- Medium
- Data quality
- Questionable
- Observations
One study in captivity found that median lifespan is considerably longer for breeders than non-breeders, respectively, 9-10 and 5-6 years. Breeding males and females were alive after 16 years of age [0957]. Others have found that these animals may live for more than 20 years [1375]. Litter size increases with parity [0531].
These animals have been shown to exhibit higher gene expression stability during aging, when compared with short-lived rats [1375].
Life history traits (averages)
- Female sexual maturity
- Male sexual maturity
- Gestation
- 112 days
- Weaning
- 65 days
- Litter size
- 2.6 (viviparous)
- Litters per year
- Inter-litter interval
- 112 days
- Weight at birth
- 19.6 g
- Weight at weaning
- Adult weight
- 250 g
- Postnatal growth rate
- 0.006 days-1 (from Gompertz function)
- Maximum longevity residual
- 176%
Metabolism
- Typical body temperature
- 307ºK or 34.0ºC or 93.2ºF
- Basal metabolic rate
- Not yet available
References
- [1375] Sahm et al. (2018), Higher gene expression stability during aging in long-lived giant mole-rats than in short-lived rats (PubMed)
- [0957] Dammann et al. (2011), Extended longevity of reproductives appears to be common in Fukomys mole-rats (Rodentia, Bathyergidae) (PubMed)
- [0978] Jones et al. (2009), PanTHERIA: a species-level database of life history, ecology, and geography of extant and recently extinct mammals
- [1032] McNab (2008), An analysis of the factors that influence the level and scaling of mammalian BMR (PubMed)
- [0530] Scharff et al. (2001), Natural history of the Giant mole-rat, Cryptomys mechowi (Rodentia: Bathyergidae) from Zambia
- [0531] Scharff et al. (1999), Reproductive characteristics and growth of Zambian giant mole-rats, Cryptomys mechowi (Rodentia: Bathyergidae)
External Resources
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- ITIS 584672
- Animal Diversity Web
- ADW account (if available)
- Encyclopaedia of Life
- Search EOL
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Entrez
- Search all databases
- Ageing Literature
- Search Google Scholar or Search PubMed
- Images
- Google Image search
- Internet
- Search Google