Giant root-rat
The giant root-rat, also known as the Ethiopian African mole rat or giant mole rat, is a rodent species in the family Spalacidae.
It is endemic to Ethiopia's Bale Mountains. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, where it can reach densities of up to 2,600 individuals per square kilometre. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Phylogeny
Tachyoryctes macrocephalus is a species endemic to grasslands in Ethiopia's Bale Mountains. It is a member of the genus Tachyoryctes, and a sister clade to the genus Rhizomys. Fossil records have suggested the species previously lived in South Asia up to northern India.Characteristics
Tachyoryctes macrocephalus are typically have small eyes and thick russet fur. They have large upper teeth called incisors that are especially prominent. The eyes are placed near the top of the forehead, and are sometimes called "periscopes" due to their ability to scan for predators. Individuals usually lack a part of the ear called a pinna. The limbs are typically short with claws, and individuals have short tails. Their weight can range between 160 grams to 930 grams. The length of their body ranges from 160 millimeters to 313 millimeters. Their molars are hypsodont, and the interparietal bone is very short.The hair is usually gray at its base, and the head is significantly larger than the rest of the body. The rodents typically eats grasses nearby their burrows and spend the majority of their time underground. The typical body mass is around 1 kilogram. In the skeleton, the occipital shield is small and horizontal, the zygomatic plate is very broad and vertical, the mesopterygoid fossa is V-shaped and the back of the glenoid fossa is open.