14-billion-years-later:

Nature’s One and Only Iridescent Mammal: The Golden Mole

Golden Moles (Family: Chrysochloridae) are not true moles, but rather have converged evolutionarily on a similar body plan. Like other true moles the desert varieties of golden mole also don’t construct burrows but rather appear to “swim” through sand. Another interesting fact is that they’ve also evolved such efficient kidneys that most species don’t need to drink water. These African natives are also the only known mammal to display iridescence despite being blind. So what really is the point to this fellow’s lustrous fur? It seems this is simply a quirk of the mole’s hair and doesn’t directly convey any advantage. The hairs themselves were found to be flattened with alternating scales of light and dark, this both gives the hairs a greater surface area to reflect light and the scale colouration refracted light just like oil on water. The actual reason for this structure is thought to be that it helps to repel dirt and water whilst also making the mole more streamlined. Regardless of what the reason is I really want a shiny, blind mole.