Rare mouse species nearly extinct, unexpectedly revived after nearly a century

After 87 years of disappearance, one of the rarest mouse species in the world suddenly appeared, surprising many people. This species has almost no eyesight and spends most of its life underground.

The one mentioned is the De Winton's golden mole - a species endemic to South Africa. Although they do not have good eyesight, they make up for it with amazing hearing and can quickly receive all the sounds coming from all the movements of animals on the ground. When moving under the sand, they are as agile as fish swimming in water.

In fact, De Winton's golden mole is only found in a small area near Port Nolloth on the northwestern coast of South Africa. These features make them one of the most elusive creatures in the world. The last sighting of one was in 1936.

While many researchers are reluctant to believe it, they suspect that the rat is truly extinct. In fact, the Re:Wild organization has included it on its “Most Wanted Lost Species List,” a list of 25 species that researchers around the world want to rediscover.

However, in late 2023, De Winton's golden mole was unexpectedly rediscovered. Specifically, on November 28, 2023, a research team including Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the University of Pretoria excitedly revealed their discovery: After an extensive search, the team successfully discovered 2 De Winton's golden moles under the sand of Port Nolloth.

“This was a very exciting project with many challenges,” said Cobus Theron, of EWT South Africa. “Fortunately, we had a passionate team and a great team with innovative ideas.”

The discovery of this elusive, critically endangered species went undetected for 87 years, but as technology improved, research by EWT and the University of Pretoria was able to track them down.

De Winton's golden moles, which live in sand dunes, are difficult to approach or trap because they rarely leave their burrows, and it is almost impossible for others to get close to their burrows. Their keen hearing allows them to quickly detect vibrations from movement on the ground, making it easier for them to hide.

De Winton’s mole is also often confused with Grant’s golden mole, a species that lives in a similar environment. To find this rare animal, EWT teamed up with the University of Pretoria and Jessia, a collie with the ability to detect odors, to test a technique called enhanced environmental DNA (eDNA), which is typically used in aquatic environments.

Meticulously sifting through sand samples from dunes near Port Nolloth, they searched for traces of DNA from skin cells, hair, blood, and feces shed by the mysterious moles. “It’s not an episode of CSI, but it’s a lot more interesting,” EWT wrote before the mission.

They started at the site where De Winton’s golden mole was last seen more than 80 years ago. The team collected more than 100 soil samples, surveying up to 18 square kilometers of the animal’s habitat.

"The discovery of De Winton's golden mole will be a ray of hope for conservationists, showing that there are still hidden wonders waiting to be discovered," EWT said at the time.

Combined with Jessie's skilled nose, the team determined that there were several species of golden moles living in the study area.

Among these, they eventually discovered the De Winton's golden mole, along with the Van Zyl's golden mole - another rare and endangered species.

“We have now not only completed the mission but also been able to tap into the eDNA programme, which could provide a wealth of opportunities not only for the golden mole but for other lost or endangered species,” revealed Cobus Theron, senior conservation director at EWT.

While the rediscovery of De Winton's golden mole is great news, they may soon disappear again as large-scale alluvial diamond mining operations and encroaching residential development on their habitat continue to threaten the population.

About the golden mole in general, this is a small insectivorous burrowing mammal endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. They belong to the family Chrysochloridae (the only family in the suborder Chrysochloridea) and are therefore taxonomically distinct from the true moles, the family Talpidae and other mole-like families, all of which are similar to each other to varying degrees depending on evolutionary convergence.

There are 21 species of golden moles, including Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus (relatively common); while the species De Winton, Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris, Neamblysomus are very rare and at risk of extinction.

Despite the extreme evolutionary convergence with moles, the closest relatives of the golden mole are the otter shrew and tenrec. It is more distantly related to other insectivorous African mammals such as the aardvark and elephant shrew, and even more distantly related to elephants and sirenians.

Their eyes are nonfunctional and covered with furry skin. Their external ears are just tiny holes. The golden mole is strikingly similar in appearance to the Australian marsupial mole, family Notoryctidae; so similar that at one point, despite the division between marsupial and placental moles, some people thought they were related.