MOLE RAT

any of several distinct types of burrowing Old World rodents, among them members of the families Spalacidae and Bathyergidae (order Rodentia). Mole rats of the family Spalacidae comprise three species of a single genus, Spalax, found in eastern and southeastern Europe and in Asia Minor. Short-legged, tailless, molelike rodents, these animals are 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches) long. They have no external ears, and they have small eyes entirely covered by skin. The soft fur is yellowish gray and the broad snout is edged with bristles that presumably help the animal feel its way about. Solitary animals, spalacid mole rats feed on the underground parts of plants and dig extensive burrow systems with separate toilet, nest, and storage chambers. They dig with their strong incisor teeth and pack down the walls of the burrow with their snouts. Where abundant, they sometimes become pests by damaging crops. The family Bathyergidae includes five genera and about 20 species of mole rats variously known as blesmols, mole rats, sand rats, and sand moles. These animals are found in much of Africa in the plains and deserts. They are stocky rodents, with small or minute eyes and ears, short legs, and short tails. The fur is short and soft except in one unusual form, the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber), which has only a few hairs scattered over its wrinkled, pinkish or yellowish skin. The other bathyergids may be whitish, pale brown, reddish brown, gray, or blackish. The members of this family burrow just under the surface of the earth, digging with their front claws or their incisor teeth. They feed mainly on roots and bulbs, sometimes damaging cultivated plants, and they store food in chambers in their burrows. Unlike other species, which are solitary, the naked mole rat congregates in large underground colonies. Researchers have observed that each colony selects a female queen for exclusive breeding, and males and females perform specialized chores for the colony. The bandicoot and pest rats (see bandicoot rat) are sometimes known as mole rats; the name is also given to members of the genera Myospalax (5 species) and Tachyoryctes (14 species). Mole rats of the genus Myospalax are Asian members of the large family Cricetidae. They are stout, short-tailed rodents with strong limbs and claws, and soft, gray or brownish fur. They inhabit wooded areas and range in length from 16 to 27 cm (6 to 10.5 inches). They are vegetarian and dig burrows as long as 40 m (about 130 feet). The members of the genus Tachyoryctes are placed with the bamboo rats in the family Rhizomyidae. These mole rats are African and inhabit both open and wooded or bamboo-covered areas. Gopherlike in appearance, they are 18 to 25 cm (7 to 10 inches) long without the 5- to 8-centimetre tail and have soft, brown, gray, reddish brown, or black fur. In some areas, they are so common that the ground is riddled with their burrows.