New species and subspecies of Golden Mole (Chrysochloridae : Amblysomus) from Mpumalanga, South Africa

A new species of Amblysomus, related to A. hottentotus (A. Smith, 1829) and A. septentrionalis Roberts, 1913, and a new subspecies of A. hottentotus w ith affinities to A.h. pondoliae Thomas & Schwann, 1905 and A.h. iris Thoma s & Schwann, 1905, are described from the eastern Mpumalanga highveld, Sout h Africa. The new species, found only in high altitude grasslands near Dull stroom and Belfast, is unique in having a diploid chromosome number (2n) of 36, and a fundamental number of 68. It has a more robust build than most o ther Amblysomus species, and in colour and size closely resembles A. septen trionalis (2n = 34) and A.h. longiceps (Broom, 1907) from montane grassland s further south in Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal (2n = 30). While no single measurement unequivocally distinguishes between these taxa, they can be dia gnosed with at least 90% efficiency using a multiple discriminant functions technique based on 16 cranial measurements. The new subspecies, recorded t hus far from only the Graskop and White River districts of the northern Dra kensberg escarpment, has a mid-dorsal band of reddish-black fur which disti nguishes it from all other forms on the highveld, as well as from A.h. pond oliae and A.h. iris, coastal subspecies which it resembles both karyotypica lly and craniometrically.