Beach diggers

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Beach diggers
Cape beach diggers

Cape beach diggers

Systematics
Superordinate : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Porcupine relatives (Hystricomorpha)
Partial order : Hystricognathi
Family : Sand graves (Bathyergidae)
Genre : Beach diggers
Scientific name
Bathyergus
Illiger , 1811

Beach graves ( Bathyergus ) are a genus from the family of sand graves (Bathyergoidea) in the rodent order (Glires).

features

The animals have a plump, cylindrical body and a broad head. The tail is very short and has radial hair. External ears are absent and the eyes are very small. The incisors protrude and are used for digging just like the limbs.

distribution

The beach graves only live in southern Africa today . The Cape beach grave ( Bathyergus suillus ) occurs only in the Republic of South Africa and the Namaqua beach grave ( Bathyergus janetta ) can also be found in the extreme south of Namibia .

species

The genus Bathyergus was described and established in 1811 by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger . Together with its sister species , the Cape Blessmull ( Georhychus capensis ) , which is also restricted to South Africa, it forms a taxon within the sand graves (Bathyergidae).

There are two types of beach graves:

supporting documents

  1. Bruce D. Patterson: Heterocephalidae. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editors): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016; P. 352 ff. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4
  2. Colleen M. Ingram, Hynek Burda, Rodney L. Honeycutt: Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy of the African mole-rats, genus Cryptomys and the new genus Coetomys Gray, 1864. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31 (3), 2004; Pp. 997-1014. doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2003.11.004

literature

  • Beach graves (Bathyergus maritimus). In: Brehms Thierleben. General customer of the animal kingdom. Second Volume, First Section: Mammals. Third volume: hoofed animals, sea mammals. Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig 1883, pp. 401–402 ( zeno.org ).
  • Strandgräfvaren l. Strandmullvaden, Bathyergus . In: Theodor Westrin, Ruben Gustafsson Berg, Eugen Fahlstedt (eds.): Nordisk familjebok konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi . 2nd Edition. tape 27 : Stockholm-Nynäs järnväg – Syrsor . Nordisk familjeboks förlag, Stockholm 1918, Sp. 288 (Swedish, runeberg.org ).

Web links

Commons : Bathyergus  - collection of images, videos and audio files