The subfamily Rhizomyinae of rodents includes the Asian bamboo rats and certain of the African mole rats. The subfamily is grouped with the Spalacinae and the Myospalacinae into a family of fossorial muroid rodents basal to the other Muroidea. Families See Classification Section The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... World map showing location of Asia Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia, defined by subtracting Europe from Eurasia. ... Genera Rhizomys Cannomys Species  Rhizomys sinensis  Rhizomys pruinosus  Rhizomys sumatrensis  Cannomys badius The bamboo rats are four species of rodents of the subfamily Rhizomyinae. ... Families see text Muroidea is a large superfamily of rodents. ... Families see text Eumuroida is a clade defined in 2004 (Steppan et al. ...

The group includes 6 species classified in 3 genera and 2 tribes:

• Tribe Rhizomyini
  • Rhizomys (Bamboo Rats; 3 species)
  • Cannomys (Lesser Bamboo Rat; 1 species, C. badius)
• Tribe Tachyoryctini
  • Tachyoryctes (African Mole-rats or root rats; 2 species)

Note that the Rhizomyinae do not include two other groups which also have the common name mole rats and are also found in Africa. The closely related subfamily Spalacinae consists of mole-like rodents found in Africa and the Middle East; these are also Myomorphic rodents. The family Bathyergidae, or African Mole-rats (including the well-known Naked Mole Rat), belong to the other major division of the rodents, the Hystricomorphs. Species  Rhizomys sinensis  Rhizomys pruinosus  Rhizomys sumatrensis  Cannomys badius The bamboo rats are four species of rodents of the subfamily Rhizomyinae. ... Genera Nannospalax Spalax Blind mole rats are one of many types of rodents that are referred to as mole rats. ... Genera Georychus Cryptomys Heliophobius Bathyergus Heterocephalus The blesmols, also known as mole rats, or African mole-rats, are burrowing rodents of the family Bathyergidae. ... 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. ...

All the rhizomyines are bulky, slow-moving, burrowing animals, the Rhizomys species being the largest and stockiest. They vary in length from 150 to 480mm (head and body) with a tail of 50 to 200mm, and their weights are from 150g to 4Kg, depending on the species. They mainly feed on the underground parts of plants, which they reach from foraging burrows. They are rarely active above ground, and if they do come out of their extensive burrow systems, it is at twilight or during the night. They are similar to the pocket gophers but lack cheek pouches. All are to some extent agricultural pests, attacking food crops, and are therefore hunted; the Asian species are eaten in the areas where they are found, while the skins of the African species are used as amulets. Genera see text The pocket gophers are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. ... An amulet from the Black Pullet grimoire An amulet (from Latin amuletum, meaning A means of protection) or a talisman (from Arabic tilasm, ultimately from Greek telesma or from the Greek word talein wich means to initiate into the mysteries. ...