Spalax ehrenbergi

The Middle East blind mole-rat or Israel/Palestine mole-rat (Spalax ehrenbergi) (also known as Nannospalax ehrenbergi) is a species of rodent in the family Spalacidae. The Middle East blind mole-rat weighs 100–200 grams (3.5–7.1 oz). It has light gray fur and four sharp teeth, two large teeth in the upper jaw and two smaller teeth in the lower jaw. It has a life span of up to 20 years and is notable for its adaptability to severe lack of oxygen. In Israel, the blind mole-rat is a major agricultural pest. It digs long tunnels up to 80 centimeters deep and stores onions and tubers in underground chambers. Spalax ehrenbergi is found in Egypt, Iraq, Turkey and the Levant (Israel, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon). The natural habitat of the mole is Mediterranean-type shrubbish vegetation, and it is threatened by habitat loss. Recent cytogenetic studies have shown S. ehrenbergi in Israel may actually be a superspecies group containing several cryptic species with chromosome numbers 2n=52, 2n=54, 2n=58 and 2n=60. Close to the 'border line' of the niche of each subspecies there is mating between individuals from different subspecies/different 2n chromosome number. Birth of fertile offspring implies that speciation of the subspecies has not been completed. According to Israeli researchers at Haifa University, the Middle East blind mole-rat is the ultimate lab animal for researching cancer due to its extraordinary resistance to the disease. In their publication interesting data on Spalax resistance to cancer have been documented: