Mole-rat or mole rat can refer to several groups of burrowing Old World rodents:
*
Bathyergidae, a family of about 20
hystricognath
The Hystricognathi are an infraorder of rodents, distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skulls. The masseter medialis (a jaw muscle) passes partially through a hole below each eye socket (called the infraorbital foramen) ...
species in six genera from Africa also called blesmols.
*''
Heterocephalus glaber
The naked mole-rat (''Heterocephalus glaber''), also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing rodent native to the Horn of Africa and parts of Kenya, notably in Somali regions. It is closely related to the blesmols and is the only species in th ...
'', the naked mole-rat.
*
Spalacidae
The Spalacidae, or spalacids, are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe. It includes the blind mole-rats, bamboo rats, mole ...
, a family of about 30
muroid
The Muroidea are a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except A ...
species in six genera from Eurasia and northeast Africa, including:
**''
Tachyoryctes
''Tachyoryctes'' is a genus of rodent in the family Spalacidae.
It contains the following species:
* Ankole African mole-rat (''T. ankoliae'')
* Mianzini African mole-rat (''T. annectens'')
* Aberdare Mountains African mole-rat (''T. audax'')
* D ...
'', a genus of about 15 species from Africa;
**
Blind mole rat
The blind mole-rats, also known as the fossorial or subterranean mole rats, are a subfamily (Spalacinae) of rodents in the family Spalacidae, found in eastern Europe and western & central Asia. The hystricognath mole-rats of the family Bathyergi ...
s (Spalacinae), a subfamily of about 15 living species in the genus ''
Spalax
''Spalax'' is a genus of rodent in the family Spalacidae, subfamily ''Spalacinae'' (blind mole-rats). It is one of two extant genera in the subfamily Spalacinae, alongside ''Nannospalax''.'
Species in this genus are found in eastern Europe a ...
'' from southeastern Europe, southwestern Asia, and northeastern Africa;
**
Zokors
Zokors are Asiatic burrowing rodents resembling mole-rats. They include two genera: ''Myospalax'' and ''Eospalax''. Zokors are native to much of China, Kazakhstan, and Siberian Russia.
Traditionally, zokors were thought to be closely related ...
(Myospalacinae), occasionally called mole-rats, about eight species from central and eastern Asia.
* In the family
Muridae
The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.
The name Muridae come ...
:
** ''
Nesokia indica
The short-tailed bandicoot rat (''Nesokia indica'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
Other common names include short-tailed mole-rat, Indian bandicoot, bandicoot-rat, flat-tooth rat and short-tailed nesokia.
Characteristics
The sho ...
'' from southern and southwestern Asia and Egypt, also known as the short-tailed mole-rat.
** ''
Bandicota bengalensis
The lesser bandicoot rat, Sindhi rice rat, bengal rat or Indian mole-rat (''Bandicota bengalensis'') is a giant rat of Southern Asia, not related to the true bandicoots which are marsupials. They can be up to 40 cm long (including the tail ...
'' from southern Asia, also known as the Indian mole-rat.
{{Animal common name