Finn, Kyle T.2026-03-132026-03-132026Finn, K.T. The subterranean niche provides protection against predators: a review of predation on members of the family Bathyergidae. Mammalian Biology (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-025-00514-x.1616-5047 (print)1618-1476 (online)10.1007/s42991-025-00514-xhttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/108958DATA AVAILABILITY : The citizen science observations reported in this review are available at: https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.y3zpns.African mole-rats (family Bathyergidae) are subterranean rodents endemic to sub-Saharan Africa which spend nearly their entire lives in complex underground burrows. The subterranean niche provides a drastically decreased predation risk compared to epigeous rodents. The underground burrows of mole-rats have been compared to hidden and well defended fortresses, nigh impossible for predators to locate and assail. Predation rates of mole-rats while in their burrows may be incredibly low, but the frequencies of predation have not been quantified. This review collates observations of predation in African mole-rats primarily from diet studies conducted on mammalian, avian, and reptilian species which may be predators of African mole-rats. This review also includes new observations obtained from citizen science platforms (iNaturalist), social media, and personal interviews. The results indicate that African mole-rats are rarely predated upon and comprise less than 10% of the diet of most potential predators. However, the frequent above-ground foraging by the large Cape dune mole-rat, may result in increased predation pressure from Verreaux’s eagles.en© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.African mole-rats (Bathyergidae)RodentAnti-predator responsesOwl pelletMammalDietTrophic relationshipsSub-Saharan Africa (SSA)Article