. The popular natural history . Zoology. i6o THE SLEPEZ. Slepez, is a native of Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Syria. Like the ordinary mole, to which it bears no little external resem- blance, it passes its existence in the subterranean tunnels which it excavates by means of its powerful claws. As it but seldom ventures into the light of day, it stands in no need of visual organs, but is compensated for their absence by the very large development of the organs of hearing. The place of the eyes is taken by two little round black specks, which lie under the fur- covered skin, so
. The popular natural history . Zoology. i6o THE SLEPEZ. Slepez, is a native of Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Syria. Like the ordinary mole, to which it bears no little external resem- blance, it passes its existence in the subterranean tunnels which it excavates by means of its powerful claws. As it but seldom ventures into the light of day, it stands in no need of visual organs, but is compensated for their absence by the very large development of the organs of hearing. The place of the eyes is taken by two little round black specks, which lie under the fur- covered skin, so that even if they were sensitive to light, they would be unable to perceive the brightest rays of the noontide sun. The ears, however,. SLEPEZ MOLE RAT.—{Spalax Typhlus.) are extremely large, and the hearing is exceedingly sensitive, so that the nnimal receives earlier information of danger through its sense of hearing than through that of sight, which latter faculty would indeed be useless in its dark abode. Sometimes the Slepez leaves the burrow and lies basking in the warm sunshine, but upon the least alarm or unexpected sound it plunges into its tunnel, and will not again make its appearance until it feels perfectly assured of safety. The general colour of the Slepez is a very light brown, slightly tinged with red in some parts, and fading into an ashen grey in others. Its total length is about ten or eleven inches, and the tail is wanting. The head is broad, flat on the crown, and terminates abruptly at the muzzle. The feet are short, and the claws small. The incisor teeth of the COAST Rat or Sand Mole are even larger in proportion than those of the preceding animal, and those of the upper jaw are marked by a groove running throughout their length. The fore-feet are furnished with long and powerful claws, that of the second toe being the largest. The eyes are exceedingly small, the external ears are wanting, and the tail is extremely Please note that these images
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
