. ▁It ▁includes ▁the ▁blind ▁mole - r ats , ▁b am bo o ▁r ats , ▁mole - r ats , ▁and ▁z ok ors . ▁ ▁This ▁family ▁represents ▁the ▁oldest ▁split ▁( ex cluding ▁perhaps ▁the ▁Pl ata can th omy idae ) ▁in ▁the ▁mu roid ▁super family , ▁and ▁compr ises ▁animals ▁adapted ▁to ▁a ▁sub ter rane an ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁ ▁These ▁rod ents ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁evol ved ▁adapt ations ▁to ▁living ▁under ground ▁independently ▁until ▁recent ▁gen etic ▁studies ▁demonstrated ▁they ▁form ▁a ▁mon oph y let ic ▁group . ▁ ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁Sp al ac idae ▁are ▁often ▁placed ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁Mur idae ▁along ▁with ▁all ▁other ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁M uro idea . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁Sp al ac ids ▁are ▁mouse - ▁to ▁rat - s ized ▁rod ents , ▁adapted ▁to ▁bur row ing ▁and ▁living ▁under ground . ▁They ▁have ▁short ▁lim bs , ▁w edge - sh aped ▁sk ull s , ▁strong ▁neck ▁mus cles , ▁large ▁in cis or ▁teeth , ▁and ▁small ▁eyes ▁and ▁external ▁ears . ▁In ▁the ▁z ok ors , ▁which ▁dig ▁primarily ▁with ▁their ▁feet , ▁rather ▁than ▁their ▁teeth , ▁the ▁front ▁cla ws ▁are ▁also ▁mass ively ▁en larg ed . ▁These ▁features ▁are ▁least ▁extreme ▁in ▁the ▁b am bo o ▁r ats , ▁which ▁spend ▁at ▁least ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁time ▁above ▁ground , ▁for aging ▁for ▁food . ▁They ▁are ▁most