THE MOLE RATS. 



351 



move forward and backward with nearly equal facil- 

 ity. Their diet is exclusively vegetable, for the 

 most part consisting of roots, tubers and bulbs, 

 which they dig out of the earth; a few of them may 

 in exceptional cases also feed on grass, bark, seeds 

 and nuts. Those that live in cold regions store up 

 winter provisions, but do not hibernate. 



THE MOLE RAT. The clumsy, almo 



sentative of a peculiar deep burrowing family ol 



name, it makes mounds at the mouth of its burrow. Its strong claws for dij 



protruding gnawing teeth are shown here. {Spalax lyphlus.) 



The Common The best known species of the fam- 

 Mole Rat or \\y ; s the Common Mole Rat or 

 Slepez. Slepez (Spalax typhlus). The head 



terminates in a blunt snout and is stouter than the 

 body, while the short, immobile neck is as thick as 

 the tailless body. The short legs terminate in wide 

 paws with strong toes armed with sharp, vigorous 

 claws. The rudimentary 

 eyes are very small, at- 

 taining, usually, barely the 

 size of a poppy seed, and 

 lie hidden under folds of 

 the skin so that they are 

 practically useless for 

 purposes of sight. The 

 length of the body is 

 eight inches. Large and 

 powerful gnawing teeth 

 project far beyond the 

 mouth. All the toes of 

 the feet are strong and 

 provided with vigorous 

 claws for digging. The 

 tail is rudimentary, its 

 position being indicated 

 by a slightly protruding 

 wart. The body is clothed 

 in a copious, close, soft 

 fur; rigid, bristly hairs 

 cover the sides of the 

 head from the nostrils to 

 the eyes, and form a 

 brush-like crest. The 



general color is a yellowish brown, tinged with ashy 

 gray; the under parts are of dark ashy gray hue, re- 

 lieved with white longitudinal stripes on the lower 

 portions of the abdomen, and small, white spots be- 

 tween the hind legs. 



The Mole Rat is a native of southeastern Europe 

 and western Asia, principally of southern Russia near 



the Volga and Don, Moldavia, part of Hungary and 

 Galicia, and it also occurs in Turkey and Greece; 

 towards Asia its range is bounded by the Ural and 

 Caucasus, being especially frequent in the Oukraine. 

 Like nearly all of the family, the Common Mole 

 Rat inhabits fertile countries and lives in subterra- 

 nean, complicated burrows, the existence of which 

 is recognized by innumerable mounds. 

 It is said to use its strong incisors in 

 digging, gnawing through roots and 

 pulverizing the earth between them. 

 Physical Char- The movements of 

 acteristics of the the Mole Rat are not 

 Mole Rat. so awkward as is gen- 

 erally believed. Among its percep- 

 tive senses (which probably are all 

 only slightly developed), hearing 

 seems to be most important. It has 

 been observed that the Mole Rat is 

 very sensitive to noise and is mainly 

 guided in its movements by its sense 

 of hearing. It is said to be a cou- 

 rageous, vicious creature, which in 

 case of emergency knows how to use 

 its vigorous teeth in the most effect- 

 ive manner. It evinces its anger very 

 plainly, growls and snorts, grinds its 

 teeth and snaps furiously when 

 handled by Man. 



The Mole Rat feeds principally, if 

 not exclusively, on vegetable food, 

 and when pressed by hunger lives on the bark of 

 trees. If the plants upon which it feeds put forth 

 deep-reaching tap roots, it sinks tunnels to con- 

 siderable depth under the hard frozen crust of the 

 ground in winter; but if it finds its food nearer the 

 surface, it digs its shallow passages just below the 

 snow. Provisions for winter have not yet been 



ch it derives its 

 nd its powerful 



ORD'S POCKET MOOSE 



Mice. Its long hind 1 

 and many other pecu 

 form almost the sole 



the typical animal of the exclusively American family of the Pocket 

 hort fore-feet and long-tufted tail remind us of the Jerboas, but its fur lined cheek pouch 

 unties place it in a distinct family. It is appropriately depicted in a desert spot where cacti 

 getation. {Difodomys philippii. ) 



found stored in its tunnels, but in many instances 

 nests have been discovered built from the finest of 

 roots. In such a nest from two to four young Mole 

 Rats make their appearance in summer. On the 

 whole the creature does little damage to the pos- 

 sessions of Man; but, on the other hand, its exist- 

 ence does not afford the human species any benefit. 



