Subterranean mammals have often been reported to habitually walk backwards both in the wild and in captivity. However, quantitative studies on this unusual behavior are sparse. For the present work, we collected video footage of spontaneous and induced forward and backward locomotion in captive Ansell’s mole-rats ( Fukomys anselli; family Bathyergidae). Based on that, analyses of spatio-temporal gait parameters (speed, stride...

The Mashona mole-rat, Fukomys darlingi (Thomas, 1895), is a little studied social African mole-rat (Bathyergidae) from south-astern Africa. Here, we present an integrative study characterizing the genetic diversity of populations assigned to F. darlingi with special focus on animals from Nsanje, southern Malawi. These mole-rats show pronounced differences in body mass and general appearance compared to nominate F. darlingi fro...