| Spalacidae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lesser bamboo rat,Cannomys badius | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Spalacidae Gray, 1821 |
| Type genus | |
| Spalax Güldenstädt, 1770 | |
| Subfamilies | |
TheSpalacidae, orspalacids, are afamily ofrodents in the large and complexsuperfamilyMuroidea. They are native to easternAsia, theHorn of Africa, theMiddle East, and southeasternEurope. It includes theblind mole-rats,bamboo rats,mole-rats, andzokors. This family represents the oldest split (excluding perhaps thePlatacanthomyidae) in the muroid superfamily, and comprises animals adapted to asubterranean way of life. These rodents were thought to have evolved adaptations to living underground independently until recent phylogenetic studies demonstrated they form amonophyletic group.[1] Members of the Spalacidae are often placed in the familyMuridae along with all other members of the Muroidea.
Spalacids aremouse- torat-sized rodents, adapted to burrowing and living underground. They have short limbs, wedge-shaped skulls, strong neck muscles, largeincisor teeth, and small eyes andexternal ears. In the zokors, which dig primarily with their feet, rather than their teeth, the frontclaws are also massively enlarged. These features are least extreme in the bamboo rats, which spend at least some of their time above ground, foraging for food. They are most highly developed in the blind mole-rats, whose eyes are completely covered by skin, and entirely lack external ears or tails.
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 areherbivores, feeding onroots, bulbs, andtubers.
They give birth to litters of up to six young after agestation 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 areweaned.[2]
Norriset al.[3] listed several characteristics present in all members of this family which distinguish them from the rest of the muroids, (thecladeEumuroida). These are "the reduction or absence of external eyes, reduced pinnae, stocky body, short tail (<50% head and body length), broadrostrum, triangular-shaped braincase,infraorbital canal ovoid shape and does not extendventrally to the roof of thepalate,zygomatic plate absent or much reduced, nasolacrimal canal insideinfraorbital canal,incisive foramina small to medium-sized, extensive neck musculature and prominent points of attachment on the occipitum, minimal reduction in M3 relative to M1 and M2, and a distinct orientation of the manubrium of themalleus bone." Spalacid genomes also share a derived filovirus-like nucleoprotein element with an open reading frame.[4]
The spalacids are classified in threesubfamilies, sixgenera, and 37species.
Family Spalacidae
