Lesser blind mole-rat
Species of rodent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The lesser blind mole-rat (Nannospalax leucodon) is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. It is found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, North Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey and Ukraine.[2]
.jpg)
| Lesser blind mole-rat | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Spalacidae |
| Genus: | Nannospalax |
| Species: | N. leucodon |
| Binomial name | |
| Nannospalax leucodon (Nordmann, 1840) | |
 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Spalax leucodon Nordmann, 1840 | |
Taxonomy
Prior to 2012, it was classified in the genus Spalax, but modern authors tend to separate this and some closely related mole rat species into a separate genus named Nannospalax. A study of the dentition showed that Nannospalax leucodon is a superspecies consisting of several cryptic species that can be distinguished by the caries in their teeth. According to this definition there are four separate "cariological" forms in the Carpathian Basin, one of them endangered and another one vulnerable while insufficient data are available to evaluate the conservation status of the other two forms.[3]
Behavior and ecology
Blind mole-rats are not in fact completely blind as they do possess simple eyes 1mm in diameter and located under a layer of skin and fur. They act effectively as light meters, only sensing the level of available light.[4]
Life expectancy
One study directed towards life expectancy used this species by virtue of its incredible longevity performance, hypoxia and hypercapnia endurance, as well as cancer resistance. Looking at the fecal and skin samples of this ideal candidate, it was found that the Muribaculaceae bacterial family, known to be linked with longevity, dominated fecal samples.[5]
.jpg)