A blesmol is any of a dozen species of burrowing African rodents that live in arid regions south of the Sahara Desert. Blesmols are highly adapted to living underground, with strong, blunt heads and incisor teeth that protrude forward beyond the mouth. They use these teeth for digging, and they can close their mouths behind them to avoid ingesting soil. Blesmols vary in size. Dune blesmols can weigh up to 1.8 kg and measure 18 to 33 cm, while naked mole rats weigh 80 grams or less and have bodies only 8 to 9 cm long. Blesmols eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and sometimes invertebrates. They dig elaborate burrows and use their heads and hind feet to push soil to the surface, creating mounds.

Where do blesmols live?

Blesmols, African rodents belonging to the family Bathyergidae, inhabit arid regions south of the Sahara. They favor sandy and loamy soils found in dry grasslands and savannas. These animals are highly adapted to life underground, using their protruding incisor teeth to dig elaborate burrow systems where they live. Blesmols eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and sometimes invertebrates. Though they may be active at any time, they rarely emerge from their burrows. Dune, cape, and silvery blesmols are typically solitary, while common and naked mole rats live in colonies. Naked mole rats form large underground colonies of up to 300 individuals in East Africa.

What do blesmols look like?

Blesmols, also known as mole rats, are African rodents that are highly adapted to living underground in arid environments south of the Sahara. They have stocky, cylindrical bodies, short limbs, and large feet. Their strong, blunt heads appear virtually neckless and feature incisor teeth that protrude forward beyond the mouth for digging. Blesmols range in size from the naked mole rat ( Heterocephalus glaber ) at 8 to 9 cm long and weighing 80 grams or less, to dune blesmols ( Bathyergus ), which can weigh up to 1.8 kg and measure 18 to 33 cm in length. While the naked mole rat has wrinkled, pinkish skin with sparse hairs, other blesmols have dense, velvety fur that comes in a range of colors from white and gray to buff, brown, red, and black. Many blesmols have a white spot on their heads, and some have more extensive white patterns.

How do blesmols survive underground?

Blesmols are well-suited for life underground in arid African regions. Their bodies have evolved several key adaptations: * They have strong, blunt heads and forward-protruding incisor teeth for digging. They can also close their mouths behind their front teeth to avoid ingesting soil. * Blesmols have stocky, cylindrical bodies, short limbs, and large feet. * Stiff hairs fringe the outer borders of their hind feet, which aids in pushing soil rearward. Dune blesmols use their strong front claws to dig. * They have very small eyes and no external ears, but a keen sense of hearing and sensitivity to ground vibrations. * Blesmols rarely emerge from their burrows and eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and sometimes invertebrates.

What do blesmols eat?

Blesmols are African rodents that live in arid regions south of the Sahara. They dwell in dry grasslands and savannas, where they feed on roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and occasionally invertebrates . They use their incisors to chew through the ground and create elaborate burrows, pushing soil to the surface with their heads and hind feet. Though they may be active at any time, they rarely leave their burrows.

How are blesmols different from other rodents?

Blesmols, from the family Bathyergidae, are African rodents adapted to life underground in arid regions south of the Sahara. Several traits distinguish them from other rodents: They have strong, blunt heads with protruding incisor teeth used for digging. Their mouths can close behind these teeth to prevent soil ingestion. Their stocky, cylindrical bodies have short limbs and large feet. The outer borders of their hind feet have stiff hairs that aid in pushing soil rearward. Blesmols have very small eyes and no external ears, just openings hidden by fur or surrounded by bare or thickened skin. However, they have an acute sense of hearing and are very sensitive to ground vibrations. They vary in size. Dune blesmols can weigh up to 1.8 kg, while naked mole rats weigh 80 grams or less. Blesmols live in dry grasslands and savannas, where they feed on roots, bulbs, tubers, and sometimes invertebrates.

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naked mole rat Naked mole rat (*Heterocephalus glaber*) showing its protruding incisor teeth.

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Also known as: Bathyergidae, mole rat

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What is a blesmol?
A blesmol is any of a dozen species of burrowing African rodents that live in arid regions south of the Sahara Desert. Blesmols are highly adapted to living underground, with strong, blunt heads and incisor teeth that protrude forward beyond the mouth. They use these teeth for digging, and they can close their mouths behind them to avoid ingesting soil.

Blesmols vary in size. Dune blesmols can weigh up to 1.8 kg and measure 18 to 33 cm, while naked mole rats weigh 80 grams or less and have bodies only 8 to 9 cm long. Blesmols eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and sometimes invertebrates. They dig elaborate burrows and use their heads and hind feet to push soil to the surface, creating mounds.
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1. blesmol
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Where do blesmols live?
Blesmols, African rodents belonging to the family Bathyergidae, inhabit arid regions south of the Sahara. They favor sandy and loamy soils found in dry grasslands and savannas. These animals are highly adapted to life underground, using their protruding incisor teeth to dig elaborate burrow systems where they live. Blesmols eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and sometimes invertebrates. Though they may be active at any time, they rarely emerge from their burrows.

Dune, cape, and silvery blesmols are typically solitary, while common and naked mole rats live in colonies. Naked mole rats form large underground colonies of up to 300 individuals in East Africa.
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1. blesmol
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What do blesmols look like?
Blesmols, also known as mole rats, are African rodents that are highly adapted to living underground in arid environments south of the Sahara. They have stocky, cylindrical bodies, short limbs, and large feet. Their strong, blunt heads appear virtually neckless and feature incisor teeth that protrude forward beyond the mouth for digging.

Blesmols range in size from the naked mole rat ( Heterocephalus glaber) at 8 to 9 cm long and weighing 80 grams or less, to dune blesmols (Bathyergus), which can weigh up to 1.8 kg and measure 18 to 33 cm in length. While the naked mole rat has wrinkled, pinkish skin with sparse hairs, other blesmols have dense, velvety fur that comes in a range of colors from white and gray to buff, brown, red, and black. Many blesmols have a white spot on their heads, and some have more extensive white patterns.
1 Britannica Source
1. blesmol
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do blesmols survive underground?
Blesmols are well-suited for life underground in arid African regions. Their bodies have evolved several key adaptations:
* They have strong, blunt heads and forward-protruding incisor teeth for digging. They can also close their mouths behind their front teeth to avoid ingesting soil.
* Blesmols have stocky, cylindrical bodies, short limbs, and large feet.
* Stiff hairs fringe the outer borders of their hind feet, which aids in pushing soil rearward. Dune blesmols use their strong front claws to dig.
* They have very small eyes and no external ears, but a keen sense of hearing and sensitivity to ground vibrations.
* Blesmols rarely emerge from their burrows and eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and sometimes invertebrates.
1 Britannica Source
1. blesmol
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do blesmols eat?
Blesmols are African rodents that live in arid regions south of the Sahara. They dwell in dry grasslands and savannas, where they feed on roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and occasionally invertebrates. They use their incisors to chew through the ground and create elaborate burrows, pushing soil to the surface with their heads and hind feet. Though they may be active at any time, they rarely leave their burrows.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Definition of blesmol
2. blesmol
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are blesmols different from other rodents?
Blesmols, from the family Bathyergidae, are African rodents adapted to life underground in arid regions south of the Sahara. Several traits distinguish them from other rodents:
- They have strong, blunt heads with protruding incisor teeth used for digging. Their mouths can close behind these teeth to prevent soil ingestion.
- Their stocky, cylindrical bodies have short limbs and large feet. The outer borders of their hind feet have stiff hairs that aid in pushing soil rearward.
- Blesmols have very small eyes and no external ears, just openings hidden by fur or surrounded by bare or thickened skin. However, they have an acute sense of hearing and are very sensitive to ground vibrations.
- They vary in size. Dune blesmols can weigh up to 1.8 kg, while naked mole rats weigh 80 grams or less.
Blesmols live in dry grasslands and savannas, where they feed on roots, bulbs, tubers, and sometimes invertebrates.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Definition of blesmol
2. blesmol
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

blesmol, (family Bathyergidae), any of about a dozen species of burrowing African rodents that live in arid regions south of the Sahara (desert). Blesmols are highly adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They appear virtually neckless, having strong, blunt heads with incisor teeth protruding forward beyond the mouth. The teeth are used for digging, and the mouth can be closed behind the front teeth, which prevents ingestion of soil as the animals dig. Their stocky, cylindrical bodies have short limbs and large feet. The outer borders of the hind feet are fringed with stiff hairs that aid in pushing soil rearward. The forefeet bear small claws, except for the long, strong front claws of the dune blesmols (genus Bathyergus). The eyes are very small, and there are no external ears, only openings that are either hidden by fur or surrounded by bare or thickened skin. Blesmols have an acute sense of hearing, however, and they are very sensitive to ground vibrations.

Blesmol genera

Among the largest of these mole rats are the dune blesmols (genus Bathyergus), which weigh up to 1.8 kg (4 pounds) and are 18 to 33 cm (7.1 to 13 inches) long with very short, hairy tails (4 to 7 cm). Smallest is the naked blesmol, more commonly called the naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber), which weighs 80 grams (2.8 ounces) or less and has a body only 8 to 9 cm long and a tail of 3 to 5 cm. Its wrinkled skin is pinkish and bald except for a few pale hairs scattered on the body and tail and sparse fringes of hair along the lips and the edges of the feet. The other blesmols have dense, velvety fur of extremely variable colour, ranging from whites and grays through tones of buff and brown to shades of red and black. Many species have a white spot on the head, and some have more extensive white patterns.

Blesmols prefer sandy and loamy soils in dry grasslands and savannas, where they eat roots, bulbs, tubers, other plant parts, and occasionally invertebrates. Most chew through the ground with their incisors to excavate elaborate burrows and use their heads and hind feet to push or kick loosened soil out to the surface into mounds. (Dune blesmols use their front claws and forefeet to dig.) Although blesmols may be active at any time, they rarely, if ever, emerge from their burrows. Dune, cape, and silvery blesmols are solitary, but common and naked mole rats are colonial. Naked mole rats live in underground colonies of up to 300 individuals in arid parts of East Africa. A single breeding female dominates the colony and mates only with a select few males, producing up to five litters per year. All other colony members are nonbreeding or functionally sterile helpers. Litters are the largest of any mammal, numbering up to 27 young, but only about 10 per litter survive to weaning.

The cheetah is the fastest land animal over short distances. It has become an endangered species in Africa, and is almost extinct in Asia. Cheetah mother with young. Cheetah cubs

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Paleontology and classification

The evolutionary history of the blesmol is based upon fossils dating to the Early Miocene Epoch (23 million to 13.8 million years ago) in Africa. One extinct species from the Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) was discovered in Israel.

Blesmols are the only members of the family Bathyergidae, with the naked mole rat being assigned its own subfamily (Heterocephalinae) and the other blesmols being members of the subfamily Bathyerginae. The blesmol family belongs to the suborder Hystricognatha within the order Rodentia.

Family Bathyergidae (blesmols)
12 species in 5 genera, although classifications including from 9 to 14 species have been proposed.
- Subfamily Bathygerinae
  11 species among 4 genera.
  - Genus Cryptomys (common blesmols)
    5 to 10 species.
  - Genus Bathyergus (dune blesmols)
    2 species.
  - Genus Georychus (Cape blesmol)
    1 species.
  - Genus Heliophobius (silvery blesmol)
    1 species.
- Subfamily Heterocephalinae (naked mole rat, or naked blesmol)
  - Genus Heterocephalus
    1 species.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Bill Guerriero.

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Blesmol genera

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Paleontology and classification