THE REPRODUCTIVE-BIOLOGY OF THE GIANT ZAMBIAN MOLE-RAT, CRYPTOMYS MECHOWI (RODENTIA, BATHYERGIDAE)

Cryptomys mechowi occurs in the mesic Miombo tropical woodland and sav anna of Zambia, Zaire and Angola. It is a colonial bathyergid in which reproduction is restricted to a single female. Courtship and copulati on are initiated by the female. Copulation is brief and does not invol ve multiple bouts. The gestation length is 97-111 days (n = 2). The ne wborn pups are altricial and the litter sizes small, averaging 1,6 +/- 0,5 (n = 5). The pups begin to wander out of the nest when 10 days ol d, begin to eat solids after 20 days and are fully weaned after 35 day s. The growth of C. mechowi pups is best described by the Gompertz mod el. The growth rate for the first 80 days of postnatal growth is 0,8 t o 0,94 g/day, whereas for the first 275 days this rate is 0,7 to 0,84 g/day. The reproductive biology of the giant Zambian mole-rat is compa red with that of other species of southern and central African Cryptom ys.