Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon

Family Spalacidæ

The members of this family are characterised by very large incisors; some have premolars, as in Bathyergus and two other genera, but not in the Spalacinæ, of which our bamboo-rat (Rhizomys) is the representative in India. “The grinding teeth are rooted, not tuberculate, but with re-entering enamel folds; infra-orbital opening moderate or small, with no perpendicular plate; occipital plane high, often sloped boldly forward; palate narrow; form cylindrical; eye and ear-conch very small, sometimes rudimentary; limbs short and stout; claws large; tail short or absent” (Alston, ‘P. Z. S.’ 1876, p. 86). There are two subfamilies—Spalacinæ and Bathyerginæ.