Eospalax rothschildi (Thomas, 1911)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Spalacidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 108-142 : 134

10.

Rothschild’s Zokor

Eospalax rothschildi

French: Zokor de Rothschild / German: Rothschild-Blindmull / Spanish: Zocor de Rothschild

Taxonomy. Myospalax rothschildi Thomas, 1911 ,

40 miles (64 km) SE Taochow , Kansu, China.

Eospalax rothschildi has been synonymized with E. fontanieriiby some authorities, butitis generally regarded as a distinct species. On the basis of tooth morphology and smaller body size, M. A. Lawrence in 1991 argued for a sister relationship to E. smithii . Molecular data are inconclusive about affinities of E. rothschildi within Eospalax , but it does not appearto be closely related to E. fontanierii . Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

E.r.rothschildiThomas,1911—SGansu,SShaanxi,andNSichuan(CChina).

E. r. hubeinensis Li Baoguo & Chen Fuguan, 1989 — SE Shaanxi, W Henan, and W Hubei (C China).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 149-172 mm,tail 29-37 mm; weight 160-440 g. Male Rothschild’s Zokors can be slightly larger than females. They are small and grayish brown, with red-tipped fur. White blaze is present on forehead of some but not all individuals. Venter is light grayish brown. Tail is hairy and bicolored, grayish yellow above and white below. Backs of feet are well-furred, with light colored hairs. They are distinguished from other species of Eospalax by smaller size, more slender claws, and smaller molars. Diploid numberis 2n = 58.

Habitat. Forest, scrub, grassland, and cropland at elevations of 1000-3000 m.

Food and Feeding. Rothschilds Zokor feeds on a wide variety of grasses and roots and can be a crop pest.

Breeding. Rothschild’s Zokor breeds in spring, beginning in April. Females give birth to onelitter of 1-5 young/year.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Rothschild’s Zokors are known to construct complex burrows in soft soils.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and the 2016 China Red List. Rothschild’s Zokor has a wide distribution and large population, and it is found in protected areas.

Bibliography. Allen (1940), Fan Naichang & Shi Yinzhu (1982), Jiang Zhigang et al. (2016), Lawrence (1991), Li Baoguo & Chen Fuguan (1989), Musser & Carleton (2005), Smith (2008b), Smith & Johnston (2008b), Su Junhu et al. (2014), Zhou Caiquan & Zhou Kaiya (2008).

Figures

1. Altai Zokor (Myospalax myospalax), 2. Steppe Zokor (Myospalax aspalax), 3. Armand’s Zokor (Mpyospalax armandii), 4. Manchurian Zokor (Myospalax psilurus), 5. Khingan Zokor (Myospalax epsilanus), 6. Fontanier’s Zokor (FEospalax fontaniern), 7. Gansu Zokor (Fospalax cansus), 8. Qinling Zokor (Fospalax rufescens), 9. Plateau Zokor (FEospalax bailey), 10. Rothschild’s Zokor (Eospalax rothschildi), 11. Smith’s Zokor (Eospalax smithu), 12. Chinese Bamboo Rat (Rhizomys sinensis), 13. Hoary Bamboo Rat (Rhizomys pruinosus), 14. Indomalayan Bamboo Rat (Rhizomys sumatrensis), 15. Lesser Bamboo Rat (Cannomys badius), 16. African Root Rat (Tachyoryctes splendens), 17. Giant Root Rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus), 18. Oltenia Blind Mole-rat (Spalax istricus), 19. Mehely’s Blind Mole-rat (Spalax antiquus), 20. Bukovina Blind Mole-rat (Spalax graecus), 21. Podolsk Blind Mole-rat (Spalax zemni), 22. Sandy Blind Mole-rat (Spalax arenarius), 23. Greater Blind Mole-rat (Spalax microphthalmus), 24. Giant Blind Mole-rat (Spalax giganteus), 25. Kazakhstan Blind Mole-rat (Spalax uralensis), 26. Lesser Blind Mole-rat (Nannospalax leucodon), 27. Anatolian Blind Mole-rat (Nannospalax xanthodon), 28. Middle East Blind Mole-rat (Nannospalax ehrenbergi)

Subspecies and Distribution. E.r.rothschildiThomas,1911—SGansu,SShaanxi,andNSichuan(CChina). E. r. hubeinensis Li Baoguo & Chen Fuguan, 1989 — SE Shaanxi, W Henan, and W Hubei (C China).