Behavioral adaptations exhibited by two African fossorial mammals for the reception of
vibrational signals are discussed. The Namib Desert golden mole (Eremitalpa granti
namibensis) is a functionally blind, nocturnal insectivore in the family Chrysochloridae that
surface forages nightly in the Namib desert. Both geophone and microphone recordings in
the substrate suggest that the golden mole is able to detect termite colonies and other prey
items solely using seismic cues. This animal exhibits a hypertrophied malleus, an adaptation …