S4 E11: African Mole-rats wtih Kyle Finn
Description
Charles and Jon get a glimpse into the fascinating world of African mole-rats with Kyle Finn, a Postdoctoral Fellow from Linnaeus University, Sweden and one of the world’s foremost experts on this family of species.
Kyle talks about his work studying Damaraland Mole-rats for his master’s degree at the Kalahari Research Centre and then studying Natal Mole-rats in the Drakensberg for his PhD.
He runs through many of the ways in which mole-rats are exceptional. They are exceptionally long-loved, immune to cancer and, with an ability to fight the aging process at a cellular level, may hold the secret to the fountain of youth. And two species live – like bees – in colonies with defined roles including a single reproducing queen, making them the world’s only eusocial mammals.
Kyle also shares some of his adventures from his time in the Kalahari including almost missing a Temminck’s Ground Pangolin that he was convinced was an April Fool’s Day prank.
We start the episode by discussing whether feeding wildlife can ever benefit conservation. Jon also shares some recent travel highlights from a trip with Kyle across South Africa, that featured – of course – five mole-rat species, and 12 days in Kenya where he saw a stunning Mountain Bongo and a spectacular Welwitsch’s Myotis.
Notes
Jon’s trip report from South Africa is here. And his Kenya report is here. Here is more on the ‘Alexander’ – Richard D Alexander – Kyle mentioned. “In 1974 he created a detailed model for a eusocial vertebrate, having no idea that a mammal with these characteristics actually existed. It turned out that his hypothetical eusocial rodent was a “perfect description” of the Naked Mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber).”
If you are interested in visiting South Africa in November 2027 with Jon and Kyle please write to mammalwatching@gmail.com.
Here is a list of papers that discuss some of the issues around feeding wildlife.
Please take a minute to complete this survey about becoming a contributing member of mammalwatching.com.
You can support mammalwatching and buy us a coffee here https://buymeacoffee.com/mammalwatching
Finally did you know you can sign up to receive a weekly mammalwatching newsletter here? https://www.mammalwatching.com/subscribe-to-updates/
Cover art: Kyle and a Cape Mole-rat