Spalax

The genus Spalax contains the blind, fossorial, or subterranean mole rats, which are one of several types of rodents that are called mole rats^[1]. The hystricognath mole rats of the family Bathyergidae are completely unrelated, but some other forms are also in the family Spalacidae. Zokors (subfamily Myospalacinae) and root rats and bamboo rats (subfamily Rhizomyinae) are spalacids sometimes referred to as mole rats. Blind mole rats are in the family Spalacidae, but are unique enough to be given a separate subfamily, Spalacinae. Alternate opinions on taxonomy consider the blind mole rats to be the only members of the family Spalacidae and rank other spalacid subfamilies as full families. Other authors group all members of the superfamily Muroidea into a single family, Muridae. The Spalacinae contains two genera and eight species. Some authorities treat all species as belonging to a single genus, Spalax.

Spalax mole rats are truly blind. Their very small eyes are completely covered by a layer of skin. Unlike many other fossorial rodents, Spalax mole rats do not have enlarged front claws and do not appear to use their forearms as a primary digging tool. Digging is almost exclusively conducted using their powerful front teeth, which are separated from the rest of the mouth by a flap of skin. When a Spalax mole rat closes its mouth, its incisors are still on the outside. It has been suggested that blind mole rats may have evolved from spalacids that used their front limbs to dig, because their olecranon process is relatively large relative to the rest of the arm. The olecranon process is a part of the ulna bone where muscles attach, and digging animals tend to have enlarged olecranon processes to provide a lot of surface for their large and powerful muscles to attach.

Because they are completely blind, blind mole rats have been important laboratory animals in tests on how eyes and eye proteins function.

Classification

Subfamily Spalacinae

• Genus Spalax – Blind mole rats
  • Sandy Mole Rat, Spalax arenarius
  • Mt. Carmel Blind Mole Rat, Spalax carmeli
  • Middle East Blind Mole Rat, Spalax ehrenbergi
  • Upper Galilee Mountains Blind Mole Rat, Spalax galili
  • Giant Mole Rat, Spalax giganteus
  • Golan Heights Blind Mole Rat, Spalax golani
  • Balkan Mole Rat, Spalax graecus
  • Judean Mountains Blind Mole Rat, Spalax judaei
  • Lesser Mole Rat, Spalax leucodon
  • Greater Mole Rat, Spalax microphthalmus
  • Munzur Mole Rat, Spalax munzuri
  • Nehring's Blind Mole Rat, Spalax nehringi
  • Kazakhstan Blind Mole Rat, Spalax uralensis
  • Podolsk Mole Rat, Spalax zemni

References

1. ^ Macdonald, D., ed (2006). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford: Oxford University Books. p. 203. ISBN 0-87196-871-1. 

• Jansa, S. A. and M. Weksler (2004). Phylogeny of muroid rodents: relationships within and among major lineages as determined by IRBP gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31:256–76. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.07.002 PMID 15019624
• Michaux, J., A. Reyes, and F. Catzeflis (2001). "Evolutionary history of the most speciose mammals: molecular phylogeny of muroid rodents." Molecular Biology and Evolution, 17:280–293.
• Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea." pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D. E. and D. M. Reeder, eds. Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Norris, R. W., K. Y. Zhou, C. Q. Zhou, G. Yang, C. W. Kilpatrick, and R. L. Honeycutt (2004). "The phylogenetic position of the zokors (Myospalacinae) and comments on the families of muroids (Rodentia)." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31:972–978.
• Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World, II. London: Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8
• Steppan, S. J., R. A. Adkins, and J. Anderson (2004). Phylogeny and divergence date estimates of rapid radiations in muroid rodents based on multiple nuclear genes. Systematic Biology, 53:533–553. doi:10.1080/10635150490468701 PMID 15371245
• Topachevskii, V. A. (1976) Fauna of the USSR. Volume III: Mammals. Issue 3: Mole rats, Spalacidae. New Delhi: Amerind.