Beach diggers
Beach diggers | ||||||||||||
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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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:
- Namaqua beach graves ( Bathyergus janetta Thomas & Schwann, 1904)
- Cape beach diggers ( Bathyergus suillus (Schreber, 1782))
supporting documents
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 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 ).