Spalax zemni
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Spalacidae
Spalax
Spalax zemni

description: 21.
Podolsk Blind Mole-rat
Spalax zemni
French: Spalax de Podolie / German: Podolien-Blindmaus / Spanish: Rata topo ciega de Podolia
Other common names: Podolian Mole-rat, Podolsk Mole-rat
Taxonomy. Glis zemni Erxleben, 1777,
Ternopolsk region, Ukraine.
Spalax zemni is frequently referred to as S. polonicus or S. podolicus, but zemni named by J. C. P. Erxleben in 1777 is the oldest available name. It includes the fossil form S. diluvii. Spalax zemni is the sister species to S. arenarius. Monotypic.
Distribution. Ukraine.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 200-310 mm, no visible external tail; weight 370-570 g. Podolsk Blind Mole-rat has slate gray pelage, with reddish trim. Head is lighter gray, and white stripe or spots may be present. Venteris gray. Diploid number is 2n = 62.
Habitat. Undisturbed steppe but also roadsides, forest belts, and agricultural fields. Podolsk Blind Mole-rats can be found in sandy soils.
Food and Feeding. Podolsk Blind Mole-rats feed on alfalfa, chicory (Cichorium, Asteraceae), field bindweed (Convolvulus, Concolvulaceae), mallows (Malva, Malvaceae), and tree seedlings such as oak (Quercus, Fagaceae), mulberry (Morus, Moraceae), and acacia (Acacia, Fabaceae).
Breeding. No information.
Activity patterns. Podolsk Blind Mole-rats are active year-round; digging continues throughout winter months.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Burrows of Podolsk Blind Mole-rats contain feeding tunnels near the surface, deeper chambers, and 2-6 vertical tunnels connecting the two levels. Feeding tunnels are located at depths of 13-21 cm. Total length of feeding tunnels varies with age of burrow; it can range from 10 m in burrows of young individuals to 210 m in burrows of mature adults. Lower chambers are found at depths of 90-275 cm and include 1-2 nest chambers, 3-5 storage chambers, and toilets. Connecting tunnels can be complex and connect chambers in a circular manner. Mounds have diameters of 30-67 cm and heights of 10-23 cm. Densities are 1-8 ind/ha; in virgin steppe, density is ¢.8 ind/ha. Predators include the Steppe Polecat (Mustela eversmanii), the European Polecat (M. putorius), and the long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus).
Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Populations of Podolsk Blind Mole-rats are fragmented. Although they are found across a large geographic landscape, area of occupancy is only ¢.2000 km? The Podolsk Blind Mole-rat is threatened by loss of its natural steppe habitat due to cultivation and development.
Bibliography. Erxleben (1777), Gromov & Erbajeva (1995), Hadid et al. (2012), Méhely (1909), Musser & Carleton (2005), Németh, Hegyeli et al. (2016), Németh, Homonnay et al. (2013), Ognev (1947), Puzachenko (20169), Topachevskii (1969), Tsytsulina, Formozov, Zagorodnyuk & Sheftel (2008b).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Spalacidae, pp. 108-142 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 138, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6609100