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Moles are small, subterranean mammals. They have cylindrical bodies, velvety fur, very small, inconspicuous eyes and ears, [1] reduced hindlimbs, and short, powerful forelimbs with large paws adapted for digging. The word "mole" most commonly refers to many species in the family Talpidae (which are named after the Latin word for mole, talpa). [2]
A member of this family is called a talpid and the family includes moles, shrew moles, and desmans. Talpids are found in North America, Europe, and Asia, primarily in forests, shrublands, grasslands, and wetlands, though some species can also be found in deserts or coastal areas.
The family Talpidae [1] (/ ˈ t æ l p ɪ d iː /) includes the true moles (as well as the shrew moles and desmans) who are small insectivorous mammals of the order Eulipotyphla. Talpids are all digging animals to various degrees: moles are completely subterranean animals; shrew moles and shrew-like moles somewhat less so; and desmans, while basically aquatic, excavate dry sleeping chambers ...
Naked mole-rats can live longer than any other rodent, with lifespans in excess of 37 years; the next longest-lived rodent is the African porcupine at 28 years. [ 38 ] [ 39 ] [ 40 ] The mortality rate of the species does not increase with age, and thus does not conform to that of most mammals (as frequently defined by the Gompertz-Makeham law ...
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 24 January 2025. Order of mammals Rodent Temporal range: Late Paleocene – recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Capybara Springhare Golden-mantled ground squirrel North American beaver House mouse Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Mirorder ...
The common mole-rat, African mole-rat, or Hottentot mole-rat, (Cryptomys hottentotus) is a burrowing rodent found in Southern Africa, in particular in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It also occurs in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is a species in the subfamily Bathyerginae. [2]
Mole-rat or mole rat can refer to several groups of burrowing Old World rodents: Bathyergidae, a family of about 20 hystricognath species in six genera from Africa also called blesmols. Heterocephalus glaber, the naked mole-rat. Spalacidae, a family of about 30 muroid species in six genera from Eurasia and northeast Africa, including:
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.