(cane rats) and Petromuridae (dassie rats). Together these three living families along with their fossil relatives represent the infraorder Phiomorpha. At present 21 species of blesmols from 5 genera are accepted, but this number is likely to increase. Like other fossorial rodents such as pocket gophers, tuco-tucos, and blind mole rats, blesmols appear to speciate rapidly. They become geographically isolated easily, leading to various chromosomal forms and genetically distinct races. Some studies have suggested that the genus Bathyergus represents the basal-most lineage; while many researchers had posited that the Naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus, held that position, more recent investigation has placed that genus in a separate family, Heterocephalidae. Family Bathyergidae Subfamily Bathyerginae Georychus - cape blesmol Georychus capensis - cape mole-rat Cryptomys Cryptomys holosericeus - greater grey mole-rat Cryptomys hottentotus - common mole-rat Cryptomys mahali - Mahali mole-rat Cryptomys natalensis - Natal mole-rat Cryptomys nimrodi - Matabeleland mole-rat Fukomys Fukomys amatus - Zambian mole-rat Fukomys anselli - Ansell's mole-rat Fukomys bocagei - Bocage's mole-rat Fukomys damarensis - Damaraland mole-rat Fukomys darlingi - Mashona mole-rat Fukomys foxi - Nigerian mole-rat Fukomys ilariae - Somali striped mole-rat Fukomys kafuensis - Kafue mole-rat Fukomys mechowii - Mechow's mole-rat Fukomys micklemi - Kataba mole-rat Fukomys ochraceocinereus - Ochre mole-rat Fukomys whytei - Malawian mole-rat subspecies: F. w. occlusus Fukomys zechi - Ghana mole-rat Heliophobius - Silvery mole-rat Heliophobius argenteocinereus - Silvery mole-rat Bathyergus - Dune blesmols Bathyergus janetta - Namaqua dune mole-rat Bathyergus suillus - Cape dune mole-rat Citations References Kingdon, J. 1997. The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited, London. McKenna, M.C. and S. K. Bell. 1997. Classification of Mammals above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York. Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London. Seney ML, Kelly DA, Goldman BD, Šumbera R, Forger NG (2009) Social Structure Predicts Genital Morphology in African Mole-Rats. PLoS ONE 4(10): e7477. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0007477. Figure Mitgutsch, C., Richardson, M. K., Jiménez, R., Martin, J. E., Kondrashov, P., de, B. M. A., & Sánchez-Villagra, M. R. (January 1, 2012). Circumventing the polydactyly 'constraint': the mole's 'thumb'. Biology Letters, 8, 1, 74–7. External links Hystricognath rodents Rodents by common name Extant Miocene first appearances