''Spalax'' is a genus of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

in the family

Spalacidae The Spalacidae, or spalacids, are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe. It includes the blind mole-rats, bamboo rats, ...

, subfamily ''

Spalacinae The blind mole-rats, also known as the fossorial or subterranean mole rats, are a subfamily (Spalacinae) of rodents in the family Spalacidae, found in eastern Europe and western & central Asia. The hystricognath mole-rats of the family Bathye ...

'' (blind mole-rats). It is one of two extant genera in the subfamily

, alongside '' Nannospalax''.'''' Species in this genus are found in

eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, wh ...

and

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former ...

. They are completely blind and have a subterranean lifestyle.

Taxonomy

Prior to 2013, ''Spalax'' was widely considered the only member of Spalacinae, with all blind mole-rat species being grouped within it. However, phylogenetic and morphological evidence supported some of the species within it forming a distinct lineage that diverged from the others during the

Late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene Epoch made up of two stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million years ago) to 5.333 Ma. The ...

, when a marine barrier formed between

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The r ...

and the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. These species were reclassified into the genus '' Nannospalax'', making ''Spalax'' one of two extant spalacine genera.''''

Species of genus ''Spalax''

* Mehely's blind mole-rat'', S. antiquus'' *

Sandy blind mole-rat The sandy blind mole-rat (''Spalax arenarius'') is an endangered species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is endemic to Ukraine. It was first identified by Evdokia Reshetnik in 1939. Distribution and habitat It is restricted to a very s ...

, ''S. arenarius'' *

Giant blind mole-rat The giant blind mole-rat (''Spalax giganteus'') is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae endemic to the North Caucasus region of Russia. It feeds on roots and tubers and lives underground in a burrow that it digs with its teeth. Distribu ...

, ''S. giganteus'' * Bukovina blind mole-rat, ''S. graecus'' *

Oltenia blind mole-rat The Oltenia blind mole-rat (''Spalax istricus'') is a critically endangered, possibly extinct species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is endemic to Romania. Taxonomy Previously described in 1909 by Lajos Méhelÿ as a subspecies of the ...

, ''S. istricus'' (possibly extinct) *

Greater blind mole-rat The greater blind mole-rat (''Spalax microphthalmus'') is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is found in Russia and Ukraine. Description The greater blind mole-rat is tailless. The eyes are covered by a membrane of skin and have at ...

, ''S. microphthalmus'' *

Kazakhstan blind mole-rat The Kazakhstan blind mole-rat or Ural blind mole-rat (''Spalax uralensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is endemic to Kazakhstan, along the Ural River basin and the flood plains of the Uil, Temir, and Emba rivers. Wher ...

, ''S. uralensis'' *

Podolsk blind mole-rat The Podolsk blind mole-rat or Podolian mole-rat (''Spalax zemni'') is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is endemic to western and central Ukraine. Distribution and habitat It has a wide but severely fragmented range throughout U ...

, ''S. zemni''

Taxonomy

Species of genus ''Spalax''

References

Further reading