Safeguarding the Lesser Blind Mole Rat

A Uniquely Adapted Rodent

Physical Characteristics

The lesser blind mole rat (Nannospalax leucodon) has some highly specialised physical adaptations. Unlike some mole rats belonging to the family of rodents called Spalacidae and despite its name, the lesser blind mole rat is not completely blind. Its tiny (1mm) eyes are sunken beneath its skin and fur that act as light sensors. Adults typically range from 11 to 16 cm in length but can grow as much as 27 cm. These characteristics along with its cylindrical tailless body, no external ears, fur coat and protruding incisor teeth, make it uniquely adapted to life underground. 

Habitat & Distribution

Being well equipped to spend most of its time burrowing beneath the surface, this rodent is capable of building impressive long tunnels. To do this, it prefers areas with a deep layer of loose, draining soil that can be easily dug. The mounds they create appear like molehills, only bigger, and are used for foraging, nesting and shelter. This particular species is found across Eastern European lowland meadows and pastures where there is a semi-steppe climate.

Behaviour & Diet

As a solitary species, lesser blind mole rats live separately in special corridor systems. They only encounter others during mating season (January and February) with a gestation period of about 3-4 weeks. After this time, females typically produce litters of 2-6 babies. Mole rats are mainly active during the night, when they emerge from their tunnels in search of food. Their diet predominantly consists of potatoes, onions, carrots, parsley and other tuberous shoots. Possessing strong incisors allows them to gnaw through an assortment of plant material.

From abundance to ‘extinction’ in Croatia

The story of the lesser blind mole rat’s demise is one of land use change and the resulting loss of its habitat.

Years of increasing agricultural intensification, urbanisation and infrastructure development, meant the species’ natural habitat of grasslands and pastures gradually gave way to other land uses. Mole rat populations withered as these habitats were ploughed and the animal began adapting to life on agricultural landscapes. It’s on these private fields of pastures, small crop-fields and orchards the mole rat caused damage and suffered persecution. Eventually, the species was declared extinct in Croatia in 1984. After almost three decades without a single sighting, the existence of a small population was confirmed in 2023 in Vučedol, near the banks of the Danube River. Being the only known population and recently discovered, there is little knowledge on their status and current threats.

The urgency to gather data

There is a fear among conservationists from BIOTA that after the attention and excitement of discovering this new population settles, the species will be deemed a pest once more. It is therefore essential to gather information quickly to safeguard the species and avoid it slipping ‘back’ into extinction. Their survival would not only be of conservation value but they would also improve the landscape ecologically through the mole rat’s role as an ecosystem engineer.

Stakeholder Engagement & Wider Benefits

The future of this species is tightly linked to the way it is perceived by the people who interact with it day to day. Therefore we believe that any measures designed to help the species recover have to be co-designed with local people through healthy dialogue and collaboration if they are to have a long lasting impact. This is especially important because the lesser blind mole rat can cause damage to crops and this is something that cannot be ignored as we look for ways of finding space for the species in the landscape. 

Further benefits could also extend to these areas: 

• Once developed and validated, the eDNA monitoring approach can be implemented by anyone that has the needed tools and skills. This could open the door for additional research and will also make it easier for the Public Institution for Management of Protected Areas of Nature in Vukovar-Srijem County to update the distribution of the species and make well informed management decisions.
• By collecting baseline data and shedding light on the situation, we will be laying the foundation for additional work. The data we collect may help to attract more funding to support the recovery of the species. The successful recovery of the lesser blind mole rat could become a reason for pride among the local community and perhaps attract interest from tourists visiting the  City of Vukovar. 
• This work should also generate momentum around this topic and facilitate the collaboration between different stakeholders including local landowners and public institutions.