Mole-rats Nannospalax leucodon and Spalax zemni in Ukraine: identification criteria and border between their ranges

• Main Authors: I. Zagorodniuk, M. Korobchenko, V. Kirichenko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. National Museum of Natural History 2017-12-01
• Series: Праці Теріологічної школи
• Subjects: Nannospalax leucodon; Spalax zemni; cranial characters; distribution; ranges
• Online Access: http://terioshkola.org.ua/library/pts15-2017/pts15-33-zag-nannospalax.pdf

The differences between two mole-rat species are shown according to the complex of exterior and cranial characters, each of which is reliable in species diagnostics. In particular, they include the color of rhinarium, shape of the rostrum, development of lateral occipital apertures and pharyngeal tubules, also the flexion of the base of the skull, and expressiveness of the intercrestal fossa in the mandible. A number of collection materials were re-identified, which significantly changed the views on geographical ranges of these species. The boundary between species should be considered substantially shifted to the west: the Bug–Tylihul interriver area is inhabited not by N. leucodon, as it was believed so far, but by S. zemni. It is confirmed by both old specimens (1930–1950s) and modern materials (2010–2016), thus it is not associated with habitat changes. At the same time, monitoring of the dynamics of settlements of these species shows significant changes in the scope of inhabited areas, as well as recent colonization of the most part of the region from coastal refugia.