...Pauline N. C. Chanel; Nigel C. Bennett; Maria K. Oosthuizen ABSTRACT Highveld mole-rats ( Cryptomys hottentotus pretoriae ) are social rodents that inhabit networks of subterranean tunnels. In their natural environment, they are rarely exposed to light, and consequently their visual systems have...

... and underlying mechanisms have been most thoroughly characterized in Ansell's mole-rat, Fukomys anselli , which is the species of choice due to its spontaneous drive to construct nests in the southeastern sector of a circular arena using the magnetic field azimuth as the primary orientation cue. Because...

... or with the involvement of the eye, particularly the retina. We provide the first behavioural support for the cornea carrying the respective primary sensors in mole-rats ( Fukomys anselli ) by showing that local anaesthesia disrupts their normal directional magnetic orientation. During corneal anaesthesia in normal...

...Tali Kimchi; Moshe Reshef; Joseph Terkel SUMMARY Subterranean mammals like the blind mole-rat (Rodentia: Spalax ehrenbergi ) are functionally blind and possess poor auditory sensitivity,limited to low-frequency sounds. Nevertheless, the mole-rat demonstrates extremely efficient ability to orient...