Spalacidae
Spalacidae Temporal range:
| |
---|---|
Lesser bamboo rat, Cannomys badius | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Superfamily: | Muroidea |
Family: | Spalacidae Gray, 1821 |
Type genus | |
Spalax Güldenstädt, 1770
| |
Subfamilies | |
Spalacinae Myospalacinae Rhizomyinae |
The Spalacidae, or spalacids, are a
Characteristics
Spalacids are
All of the spalacid species dig extensive burrows, which may include storage chambers for food, latrine chambers, and breeding nests. They are generally solitary animals, and do not share their tunnel complexes with other individuals. All the species are herbivores, feeding on roots, bulbs, and tubers.
They give birth to litters of up to six young after a gestation period between three and seven weeks, depending on the species. As with many other muroids, the young are born blind, hairless, and helpless. They may stay with the mother for several months before setting off to establish their own burrows, although some species disperse as soon as they are weaned.[1]
Characteristics
Norris et al.
Classification
The spalacids are classified in three subfamilies, six genera, and 37 species.
Family Spalacidae
- Subfamily Myospalacinae- zokors
- Genus Myospalax
- Myospalax myospalax species group
- False zokor, M. aspalax
- Siberian zokor, M. myospalax
- Myospalax psilurus species group
- Transbaikal zokor, M. psilurus
- Myospalax myospalax species group
- Genus Eospalax
- Chinese zokor, E. fontanierii
- Rothschild's zokor, E. rothschildi
- Smith's zokor, E. smithii
- Genus Myospalax
- Subfamily Rhizomyinae
- Tribe Rhizomyini- bamboo rats
- Genus Rhizomys
- Hoary bamboo rat, R. pruinosus
- Chinese bamboo rat, R. sinensis
- Large bamboo rat, R. sumatrensis
- Genus Cannomys
- Lesser bamboo rat, C. badius
- †Genus Brachyrhizomys (Miocene to Pleistocene)
- Genus Rhizomys
- Tribe Tachyoryctini
- Genus Tachyoryctes - African mole-rats
- Ankole African mole-rat, T. ankoliae
- Mianzini African mole-rat, T. annectens
- Aberdare Mountains African mole-rat, T. audax
- Demon African mole-rat, T. daemon
- Kenyan African mole-rat, T. ibeanus
- Big-headed African mole-rat, T. macrocephalus
- Navivasha African mole-rat, Tachyoryctes naivashae
- King African mole-rat, T. rex
- Rwanda African mole-rat, T. ruandae
- Rudd's African mole-rat, T. ruddi
- Embi African mole-rat, T. spalacinus
- Northeast African mole-rat, T. splendens
- Storey's African mole-rat, T. storeyi
- Genus Tachyoryctes - African mole-rats
- Tribe
- Subfamily Spalacinae- blind mole-rats
- Genus Spalax
- Mehely's blind mole-rat, S. antiquus
- Sandy blind mole-rat, S. arenarius
- Giant blind mole-rat, S. giganteus
- Bukovina blind mole-rat, S. graecus
- Oltenia blind mole-rat, S. istricus (possibly extinct)
- Greater blind mole-rat, S. microphthalmus
- Kazakhstan blind mole-rat, S. uralensis
- Podolsk blind mole-rat, S. zemni
- Genus Nannospalax - small-bodied mole-rats
- Subgenus Nannospalax
- Middle East blind mole-rat or Palestine mole-rat, N. ehrenbergi
- Subgenus Mesospalax
- Lesser blind mole-rat, N. leucodon
- Anatolian blind mole-rat or Nehring's blind mole-rat, N. xanthodon
- Subgenus Nannospalax
- Genus Spalax
References
- ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
- PMID 15120394.
- 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, 31:256-276.
- 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.
- 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.