SHORT_COMMUNICATION Lesser mole-rats (Nannospalax leucodon) are members of the Rodentia order’s Spalacidae family, and they are found in Northeastern Africa, the Balkans, Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Caucasia. The shape of the skull has a significant impact on the phenotypic appearance of animal heads, and although many domestic species have been studied, there is a lack of evidence on the macro-anatomical characteristics of the skeletal system in mole-rats. The current research was focused on the morphological, morphometric, and radiographic properties of lesser mole-rats skull in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was conducted on five lesser mole-rats from Bjelasnica Mountain, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We compared the results of the previously published studies, and we found a lot of similarities between Nannospalax leucodon in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nannospalax ehrenbergi in North Iraq, as well as the Nannospalax nehringi from Eastern Anatolia. https://macvetrev.mk 2022-10-15 215 221 10.2478/macvetrev-2022-0025 morphology neurocranium radiography rodents Nannospalax leucodon splanchnocranium Amina Rizvanovic amina.becirevic@vfs.unsa.ba false 1 Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 90, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina LEAD_AUTHOR Nedzad Hadziomerovic false 2 Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 90, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina AUTHOR Pamela Bejdic false 3 Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Veterinary Faculty, University of Sarajevo, Zmaja od Bosne 90, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina AUTHOR Jasminko Mulaomerovic false 4 Center for Кarst and Speleology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina AUTHOR urda, H. (2006). Ear and eye in subterranean molerats, Fukomys anselli (Bathyergidae) and Spalax ehrenbergi (Spalacidae): Progressive specialisation or regressive degeneration. Anim. Biol. 56(4): 475-486. 1 10.1163/157075606778967847 Coşkun, Y., Hamad, Z.A., Kaya, A. (2016). Morphological properties of Nannospalax (Rodentia: Spalacidae) distributed in North-Iraq. Hacettepe J Biol Chem. 44(2): 173-179. 2 10.15671/HJBC.20164418125 Kankiliç, T., Çolak, E., Kankiliç, T. (2009). Macro-anatomical and karyological features of two blind mole-rat subspecies (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Turkey. Anat Histol Embryol. 38(2): 145-153. PMid:19183350 3 10.1111/j.1439-0264.2008.00913.x Coşkun, Y. (2003). A study on the morphology and karyology of Nannospalax nehringi (Satunin, 1898) (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Northeast Anatolia, Turkey. Turk J Zool. 27, 171-176. 4 Coşkun, Y. (2004). Morphological and karyological characteristics of Nannospalax ehrenbergi (Nehring, 1898) (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Hatay Province, Turkey. Turk J Zool. 28(3): 205-212. 5 Özkan, Z.E. (2007). Macro-anatomical investigations on the skeletons of mole-rat (Spalax leucodon Nordmann) III. Skeleton axiale. Vet Arh. 77(3): 281-289. 6 Nevo, E., Tchernov, E., Beiles, A. (1988). Morphometrics of speciating mole-rats: Adaptive differentiation in ecological speciation. J Zool Syst Evol Res. 26(4): 286-314. 7 10.1111/j.1439-0469.1988.tb00318.x World Association of Veterinary Anatomists. 6th edition. (2017). Nomina anatomica veterinaria. International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature ICVGAN. 8 Yağcı, T., Gurbanov, R. R. (2019). The impact of the different habitats on skull variation in the fossorial subterranean rodents (Rodentia: Spalacidae) from Middle Anatolia. Ecol Res. 34(6): 802-812. 9 10.1111/1440-1703.12048 Nowak, R.M. (1999). Walker’s mammals of the world (6th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press 10 Velloso Missagia, R., Perini, F.A. (2018). Skull morphology of the Brazilian shrew mouse Blarinomys breviceps (Akodontini; Sigmodontinae), with comparative notes on Akodontini rodents. Zool Anz. 277, 148-161. 11 10.1016/j.jcz.2018.09.005 Ketani, Ş., Kilinç, M., Erdoğan, S., Kaya, A. Coşkun, Y. (2017). A macro-anatomical investigation of the some skull bones of Nehring’s blind mole-rats (Spalacidae: Nannospalax nehringi). Anat. Histol. Embryol. 46(3): 232-239. 12 10.1111/ahe.12262 PMid:28111781 Caspar, K.R., Müller, J., Begall, S. (2021). Effects of sex and breeding status on skull morphology in cooperatively breeding Ansell’s mole-rats and an appraisal of sexual dimorphism in the Bathyergidae. Front Ecol Evol. 9, 638754. 13 10.3389/fevo.2021.638754 Macholán, M., Baird, S., Munclinger, P., Piálek, J. (2012). Evolution of the house mouse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 14 10.1017/CBO9781139044547