Myospalax myospalax Laxmann 1773

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Spalacidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 907-926 : 911

Myospalax myospalax Laxmann 1773

Myospalax myospalax Laxmann 1773 , K. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl. Stockholm, 34: 134.

Type Locality: Russia, Altai Krai, 100 km SE of Barnaul, Sommaren, near Paniusheva on Alei River.

Vernacular Names: Altai Zokor.

Synonyms: Myospalax incertus Ognev 1936 ; Myospalax komurai Mori 1927 ; Myospalax laxmanni Sherskey 1873 ; Myospalax tarbagataicus Ognev 1936 .

Distribution: Altai Mtns and upper basin of Ob and Irtysh River drainages in S Russia, and E Kazakhstan (entire N region of Cisaltai plain and foothills as well as the W and C Altai; see Ognev, 1947).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: M. myospalax species group. As part of a study of 25 extant rodent genera, morphology and schmelzmuster of rootless molars in M. myospalax and their relation to jaw movement were documented ( Koenigswald et al., 1994). Gambaryan and Gasc (1993) presented a cinefluorographiccal, anatomical, and biomechanical analyses of burrowing in M. myospalax to reveal the adaptive properties of its musculoskeletal system. See account of M. aspalax for chromosomal contrasts.