NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ansell's Mole-rat
Fukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Ansell's mole-rat (Fukomys anselli), also known as the Zambian mole rat, is a species of rodent in the family Bathyergidae. It is endemic to Zambia. Its natural habitats are moist savanna and miombo forests. It is noted for its very long tunnels, up to 2.8 km (1.7 mi) for a single colony of only ten individuals. The colonies are made of a eusocial system. They include a main reproductive king and queen that are thought to be faithful to one another. Ansell's mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) develop their underground habitat using their anatomical features such as body shape, chiseled teeth, and large jaws to dig through the soil. These long tunnels often branch off at various levels in the soil which allow mole-rats to create the space needed for their survival, such as searching for plants, creating food storage areas, and communicating with other nearby family groups. African mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) brain differs from epigeic species. Although mole-rats are underground dwelling animals, their brains have a similar structure to other rodents.
Wikipedia contributors, Ansell's mole-rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:02:15.084528+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Fukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999)
- Name authority
- (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999)
- Common name
- Ansell's Mole-rat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Bathyergidae
- Genus
- Fukomys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderHystricomorpha Brandt, 1855
- infraorderHystricognathi Brandt, 1855
- familyBathyergidae Waterhouse, 1841
- genusFukomys Kock, Ingram, Frabotta, Honeycut & Burda, 2006
- speciesFukomys anselli (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Fukomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Zambian Mole-ratFukomys amatus (Wroughton, 1907) | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Botswanan Mole-ratFukomys damarensis (Ogilby, 1838) | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hanang Mole-ratFukomys hanangensis Faulkes, Mgode, Archer & Bennett, 2017 | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Kafue Mole-ratFukomys kafuensis (Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999) | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Angolan Giant Mole-ratFukomys mechowi (Peters, 1881) | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Caroline's Mole-ratFukomys vandewoestijneae Van Daele et al., 2013 | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ghana Mole RatFukomys zechi (Matschie, 1900) | BathyergidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cryptomys anselli Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999 Burda, Zima, Scharff, Macholán & Kawalika, 1999 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1221686 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:C3DV2. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.