Zokors are Asia burrowing resembling Spalacidae. They include two genera: Myospalax and Eospalax. Zokors are native to much of China, Kazakhstan, and Siberia.
Traditionally, zokors were thought to be closely related to either (Cricetinae) or (Arvicolinae), but recent molecular phylogenetic studies have demonstrated they are more closely related to (Spalacinae) and root and (Rhizomyinae) in the family Spalacidae. It appears that one of the first important cladogenesis in Muroidea rodents is between burrowing forms and Eumuroida.
Unlike the other Spalacidae, which primarily use their , zokors use their powerful front claws for digging. They have small eyes and no external ears. Zokors feed on plant matter such as and .
Taxonomy
Subfamily Myospalacinae
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Genus Myospalax
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Myospalax myospalax species group
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Myospalax psilurus species group
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Transbaikal zokor, M. psilurus
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Genus Eospalax
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Chinese zokor, E. fontanierii
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Rothschild's zokor, E. rothschildi
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Smith's zokor, E. smithii
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Jansa, S. A. and M. Weksler. 2004. Phylogeny of Muroidea : relationships within and among major lineages as determined by IRBP gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31:256-276.
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Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore
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Norris, R. W., K. Y. Zhou, C. Q. Zhou, G. Yang, C. W. Kilpatrick, and R. L. Honeycutt. 2004. The phylogenetic position of the zokors (Myospalacinae) and comments on the families of Muroidea (). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 31:972-978.
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Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.
