Zokors are Asiatic burrowing
rodentRodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s resembling mole rats. They include two genera,
Myospalax and
EospalaxEospalax is a genus of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It contains the following species:*Chinese Zokor, Eospalax fontanierii*Rothschild's Zokor, Eospalax rothschildi*Smith's Zokor, Eospalax smithii...
. Zokors are native to much of
ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Kazhakstan, and
Siberian RussiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
Traditionally, zokors were thought to be closely related to either
hamsterHamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
s (Cricetinae) or
voleA vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s (
ArvicolinaeThe Arvicolinae are a subfamily of rodents that includes the voles, lemmings, and muskrats. They are most closely related to the other subfamilies in the Cricetidae . Some authorities place the subfamily Arvicolinae in the family Muridae along with all other members of the superfamily Muroidea...
). Recent
molecular phylogeneticMolecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree...
studies have demonstrated that zokors are more closely related to
blind mole ratThe genus Spalax contains the blind, fossorial, or subterranean mole rats, which are one of several types of rodents that are called mole rats. The hystricognath mole rats of the family Bathyergidae are completely unrelated, but some other forms are also in the family Spalacidae...
s (Spalacinae)and root and
bamboo ratThe bamboo rats are four species of rodents of the subfamily Rhizomyinae. They are the sole living representatives of the tribe Rhizomyini. All are found in the eastern half of Asia.The species are:...
s (
RhizomyinaeThe subfamily Rhizomyinae of rodents includes the Asian bamboo rats and certain of the African mole rats. The subfamily is grouped with the Spalacinae and the Myospalacinae into a family of fossorial muroid rodents basal to the other Muroidea....
) in the family
SpalacidaeThe Spalacidae, or spalacids are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and south-eastern Europe. It includes the blind mole rats, bamboo rats, root rats, and zokors...
. It appears as if one of the first important
evolutionary splitsCladogenesis is an evolutionary splitting event in a species in which each branch and its smaller branches forms a "clade", an evolutionary mechanism and a process of adaptive evolution that leads to the development of a greater variety of sister species...
in
muroidMuroidea is a large superfamily of rodents. It includes hamsters, gerbils, true mice and rats, and many other relatives. They occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Some authorities have placed all members of this group into a single family, Muridae, due to...
rodents is between burrowing forms and
non-burrowing formsEumuroida is a clade defined in 2004 to describe a group of muroid rodents. The clade is not defined in the standard taxonomic hierarchy, but it is between superfamily and family....
.
Unlike the other
spalacidsThe Spalacidae, or spalacids are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and south-eastern Europe. It includes the blind mole rats, bamboo rats, root rats, and zokors...
, which primarily use their
incisorIncisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and mandible below.-Function:...
s, zokors use their powerful front claws for digging. They have small eyes and no external ears. Zokors feed on plant matter such as
tuberTubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store nutrients. They are used by plants to survive the winter or dry months and provide energy and nutrients for regrowth during the next growing season and they are a means of asexual reproduction...
s and
seedA seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s.
Zokor bone is sometimes used as a more environmentally friendly alternative to tiger bone in traditional Chinese medicine. This product is called Sailonggu.
The Myospalacinae contains a single
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
and 7 species.
Taxonomy
Subfamily Myospalacinae
- Genus Myospalax
- Myospalax myospalax species group
- False Zokor
The False Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is found in China and Russia.-References:* Shar, S. & Lkhagvasuren, D. 2008. . Downloaded on 14 August 2008....
, Myospalax aspalax
- Siberian Zokor
The Siberian Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is found in Kazakhstan and Russia.-References:* Tsytsulina, K. 2008. . Downloaded on 16 August 2009....
, Myospalax myospalax
- Myospalax psilurus species group
- Transbaikal Zokor
The Transbaikal Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is found in China, Mongolia, and Russia.-References:* Shar, S., Tsytsulina, K. & Lkhagvasuren, D. 2008. . Downloaded on 16 August 2009....
, Myospalax psilurus
- Genus Eospalax
Eospalax is a genus of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It contains the following species:*Chinese Zokor, Eospalax fontanierii*Rothschild's Zokor, Eospalax rothschildi*Smith's Zokor, Eospalax smithii...
- Chinese Zokor
The Chinese Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is endemic to China.-References:* Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. . Downloaded on 14 August 2009....
, Eospalax fontanierii
- Rothschild's Zokor
The Rothschild's Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is endemic to China.-References:* Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. . Downloaded on 14 August 2009....
, Eospalax rothschildi
- Smith's Zokor
Smith's Zokor is a species of rodent in the Spalacidae family. It is endemic to China.-References:* Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. 2008. . Downloaded on 14 August 2009....
, Eospalax smithii