Middle East Blind Mole Rat

The Middle East blind mole rat or Israel mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi or Nannospalax ehrenbergi) is a species of rodents in the Spalacidae family found in Egypt, Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria and Turkey. Its natural habitat is Mediterranean-type shrubbish vegetation, and it is threatened by habitat loss.

Recent cytogenetic studies have shown S. ehrenbergi may actually be a species group containing several cryptic species with chromosome numbers 2n=48, 2n=52, 2n=54, 2n=56 and 2n=58.

Famous quotes containing the words middle, east, blind, mole and/or rat:

    Bow, bow, ye lower middle classes!
    Bow, bow, ye tradesmen, bow, ye masses!
    Sir William Schwenck Gilbert (1836–1911)

    If the east wind doesn’t prevail over the west wind, then the west wind will prevail over the east wind.
    Chinese proverb.

    An underground grower, blind and a common brown;
    Got a misshapen look, it’s nudged where it could;
    Simple as soil yet crowded as earth with all.
    Richard Wilbur (b. 1921)

    For like a mole I journey in the dark,
    A-travelling along the underground
    John Davidson (1857–1909)

    Everybody gets pinched but you did it right. You told them nothing and they got nothing. You learned the two greatest things in life: Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.
    Nicholas Pileggi, U.S. screenwriter, and Martin Scorsese. Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiro)