Spalax arenarius Reshetnik 1939

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 : 917

Spalax arenarius Reshetnik 1939

Spalax arenarius Reshetnik 1939 , Reports Zool. Mus . Kiev, 23: 11.

Type Locality: Ukraine, Nikolaev Region, Golaya Pristan, NW shore of Black Sea.

Vernacular Names: Sandy Blind Mole Rat.

Distribution: Small range in S Ukraine (see Vorontsov et al., 1977 b, and Gromov and Erbajeva, 1995).

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable.

Discussion: Listed as a subspecies of S. microphthalmus by Corbet (1978 c) and included in S. giganteus by Pavlinov and Rossolimo (1987), but elevated to species by Topachevskii (1969) and recognized as such by Lyapunova et al. (1974), Pavlinov and Rossolimo (1998), and Pavlinov et al. (1995 a). Topachevskii (1969) viewed the restricted geographic range of S. arenarius as relictual. Chromosomal traits (2n = 62, FN = 124) documented by Lyapunova et al. (1974). Reviewed by Gromov and Erbajeva (1995).