It is hard to guess what a Cape mole-rat weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis) on average weights 189 grams (0.42 lbs).
The Cape mole-rat is from the family Bathyergidae (genus: Georychus). It is usually born with about 8 grams (0.02 lbs). They can live for up to 3 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 17.2 cm (0′ 7″). On average, Cape mole-rats can have babies 2 times per year with a litter size of 5.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The Cape mole-rat (Georychus capensis) is a species of mole-rat endemic to South Africa. It is the only living species in the genus Georychus.
Animals of the same family as a Cape mole-rat
We found other animals of the Bathyergidae family:
- Mechow’s mole-rat with a weight of 272 grams
- Ansell’s mole-rat with a weight of 85 grams
- Ochre mole-rat with a weight of 200 grams
- Cape dune mole-rat with a weight of 804 grams
- Mashona mole-rat with a weight of 65 grams
- Common mole-rat with a weight of 74 grams
- Bocage’s mole-rat with a weight of 93 grams
- Namaqua dune mole-rat with a weight of 389 grams
- Zambian mole-rat with a weight of 76 grams
- Damaraland mole-rat with a weight of 112 grams
Animals with the same weight as a Cape mole-rat
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Georychus capensis:
- Tropical ground squirrel bringing 155 grams to the scale
- Southwestern water vole bringing 220 grams to the scale
- Felou gundi bringing 205 grams to the scale
- Little golden-mantled flying fox bringing 184 grams to the scale
- Nectomys squamipes bringing 185 grams to the scale
- Perny’s long-nosed squirrel bringing 199 grams to the scale
- Saharan striped polecat bringing 218 grams to the scale
- Chestnut-bellied spiny rat bringing 159 grams to the scale
- Arizona woodrat bringing 200 grams to the scale
- Pygmy ringtail possum bringing 152 grams to the scale
Animals with the same litter size as a Cape mole-rat
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (5) as a Cape mole-rat:
- Black-capped marmot
- Northern red-backed vole
- Meadow jumping mouse
- Olive grass mouse
- Four-striped grass mouse
- Middendorf’s vole
- Long-clawed shrew
- Corsac fox
- Speckled ground squirrel
- Western jumping mouse
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Cape mole-rat
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Cape mole-rat:
- White-footed mouse with an average maximal age of 3.17 years
- Japanese shrew mole with an average maximal age of 3.5 years
- Little red kaluta with an average maximal age of 3 years
- Molina’s hog-nosed skunk with an average maximal age of 3.33 years
- Silvery mole-rat with an average maximal age of 3.08 years
- Field vole with an average maximal age of 3.25 years
- Red-tailed phascogale with an average maximal age of 3 years
- Acacia rat with an average maximal age of 3.5 years
- Japanese mole with an average maximal age of 3.5 years
- Alpine pika with an average maximal age of 3 years