Egyptian blind mole rat (Spalax aegyptiacus) |Also known
as:||Middle East blind mole rat, Palestine mole rat|
|Synonyms:||Nannospalax ehrenbergi, Spalax ehrenbergi|
|Size||Average head-body length: 18.4 cm (2)| |Weight||200 g
(3)| Classified as Data Deficient (DD) on the IUCN Red List (1).
The Egyptian blind mole rat is a rodent that is superbly adapted
to life underground (4). Its barrel-shaped body, short legs, and
lack of an external tail are all adaptations to life in a burrow
(4), and, as its name suggests (1), it possesses functionless
eyes, buried beneath the skin (4). The long, powerful incisors
are efficient tools for digging, and the Egyptian blind mole rat
can seal its lips behind the incisors, in order to avoid
consuming any soil while excavating its burrow (2) (4). The
velvety fur is brown in colour and the feet are pale silver on
the upper surface. The nose is soft and flat with thick,
protruding hairs that reach the eyes. Male Egyptian blind mole
rats are slightly larger than the females (2). T