Spalax zemni Erxleben 1777

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 : 922

Spalax zemni Erxleben 1777

Spalax zemni Erxleben 1777 , Systema Regni Animalis, Vol. 1: 370-371.

Type Locality: Ukraine, Ternopolsk region (see Topachevskii, 1969).

Vernacular Names: Podolsk Blind Mole Rat.

Synonyms: Spalax diluvii Nordmann 1858 ; Spalax podolicus Trouessart 1897 ; Spalax polonicus Méhely 1909 .

Distribution: SE Poland east into Ukraine between Dnestr and Dnepr Rivers and south to margin of Black Sea (see Savič, 1982 c; Topachevskii, 1969; Vorontsov et al., 1977 b).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Included in S. microphthalmus by Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951) and Corbet (1978 c), but monographed as a distinct species (as S. polonicus ) by Topachevskii (1969) and subsequently listed or reviewed as such ( Corbet, 1984; Gromov and Erbajeva, 1995; Pavlinov and Rossolimo, 1987, 1998; Pavlinov et al., 1995 a; Savič, 1982 c). This species is often referenced as S. polonicus because Topachevskii (1969) characterized zemni as a nomen nudem, but the name is properly available ( Ellerman, 1949 b) and is the earliest that can be applied ( Pavlinov and Rossolimo, 1987; Zagorodnyuk, 1992 b). The synonyms are documented by Zagorodnyuk (1992 b). Chromosomal traits (2n = 62, FN = 124) summarized in Nevo et al. (2001, as S. podolicus ).