? Blesmols
Naked Mole Rat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Hystricognathi Family: Bathyergidae
Genera
Georychus Cryptomys Heliophobius Bathyergus Heterocephalus Image File history File links A picture of a naked mole rat in a human hand File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Binomial name Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell, 1842 The Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber), also known as the Sand Puppy, or desert mole rat, is a very unusual burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria Placozoa Subregnum Bilateria  Acoelomorpha  Orthonectida  Rhombozoa  Myxozoa  Superphylum Deuterostomia     Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Embrithopoda (extinct) Subclass Creodonta (extinct) Hyaenodontidae Oxyaenidae Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Placentalia Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Macroscelidea Perissodactyla Pholidota Primates Proboscidea Rodentia Scandentia Sirenia Tubulidentata Xenarthra Subclass Marsupialia Dasyuromorphia Didelphimorphia Diprotodontia Microbiotheria Notoryctemorphia... Families Many, see text The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Hystricognathi is a subordo of the Rodentia. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

The blesmols, also known as mole rats, or African mole-rats, are burrowing rodents of the family Bathyergidae. They represent a distinct evolution of a subterranean lifestyle among rodents much like the pocket gophers of North America, the tuco-tucos in South America, or the fossorial muroids. Genera see text The pocket gophers are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. ...

Distribution

Modern blesmols are found strictly in sub-Saharan Africa. Fossil forms are also restricted almost exclusively to Africa, although a few specimens have been found in Israel. Nowak (1999) also reports that †Gypsorhynchus has been found in fossil deposits of Mongolia. A satellite composite image of Africa showing the ecological break between North and Sub-Saharan regions Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa south of the Sahara Desert, is the term used to describe those countries of Africa that are not part of North Africa. ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous after Asia. ...

Anatomy

The skull morphology of blesmols sets them apart from all other rodents. As with all members of their suborder, their jaws are hystricognathous, but, unlike their relatives, they have a highly reduced infraorbital foramen. The medial masseter muscle shows only minimal passage through the infraorbital foramen leading most authorities to consider them protrogomorphous. They are therefore the only only protrogomorphous hystroicognaths. Hystricognathi is a subordo of the Rodentia. ...

Blesmols dig using their powerful incisors and, to a lesser extent, the foreclaws. Some species have been reported to be able to extend their burrows by an inch (2.5 cm) into the walls of concrete enclosures. Their unique skull shape is associated with delivering sheer power to the lateral masseter muscle which is responsible for the powerful bite of the anterior portion of the mouth. Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. ...

The incisors of blesmols are projected forward and protrude from the mouth even when the mouth is closed. This improves the separation of the dirt through which the animal digs and food.

Like many other fossorial mammals, blesmols have highly reduced eyes and ear pinnae, a relatively short tail, and velvety fur.

Behavior

Blesmols live in elaborate burrow systems and different species exhibit varying degrees of sociality. Most species are solitary, but two speies, the Damaraland Blesmol (Cryptomys damarensis) and the Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber) are considered to be the only two eusocial mammals. These species are characterized by having a single reproductively active male and female in a colony where the remaining animals are sterile. Binomial name Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell, 1842 The Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber), also known as the Sand Puppy, or desert mole rat, is a very unusual burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa. ... Eusociality is the phenomenon of reproductive specialisation found in some species of animal, whereby a specialised caste carries out reproduction in a colony of non-reproductive animals. ...

These animals prefer loose, sandy soils and are often associated with arid habitats. They feed predominately on underground roots and tubers, which they store in their burrows. Blesmols rarely come to the surface.

Classification

Although there is some controversy, the closest living relatives of the blesmols appear to be other African hystricognaths in the families Thryonomyidae (cane rats) and Petromuridae (dassie rats). Together these three living families along with their fossil relatives represent the infraorder Phiomorpha.

At present 15 species of blesmols from 5 genera are accepted, but this number is likely to increase. Like other fossorial rodents such as pocket gophers, tuco-tucos, and blind mole rats, blesmols appear to speciate rapidly. They become geographically isolated easily leading to various chromosomal forms and genetically distinct races. Some studies have suggested that the genus Bathyergus represents the basal-most lineage, but at present most researchers accept that Heterocephalus holds that position. Genera Nannospalax Spalax Blind mole rats are one of many types of rodents that are referred to as mole rats. ... Speciation refers to the appearance of a new species of life on earth, particularly as seen in the fossil record. ... Figure 1: Chromosome. ... In phylogenetics, basal members of a group are subgroups that diverged very early from the others. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

• Family Bathyergidae
  • Subfamily Bathyerginae
    • Georychus - Cape Blesmol
      • Georychus capensis - Cape Blesmol
    • Cryptomys - Common blesmols
      • Cryptomys bocagei
      • Cryptomys damarensis - Damaland Blesmol
      • Cryptomys darlingi
      • Cryptomys foxi
      • Cryptomys hottentotus
      • Cryptomys mechowi
      • Cryptomys natalensis
      • Cryptomys ochraceocinereus
      • Cryptomys zechi
    • Heliophobius - Silvery Blesmol
      • Heliophobius argenteocinereus - Silvery Blesmol
    • Bathyergus - Dune blesmols
      • Bathyergus janetta
      • Bathyergus suillus
  • Subfamily Heterocephalinae - Naked Mole Rat
    • Heterocephalus - Naked Mole Rat
      • Heterocephalus glaber - Naked Mole Rat

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Binomial name Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell, 1842 The Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber), or Sand Puppy, is a very unusual burrowing rodent native to arid parts of East Africa. ...

References

• Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited, London.
• McKenna, M.C. and S. K. Bell. 1997. Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York.
• Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.