Prey caught by house cat turns out to be mammal thought extinct in Croatia for years
Scientists in Croatia set out in search of a mammal considered extinct for decades. They’d heard of some possible sightings but couldn’t confirm anything — until a house cat appeared with the animal in its mouth.
Researchers visited the small village of Vučedol several times following the rumors of blind mole rat sightings. These mammals were “presumed extinct” and not seen in Croatia for “more than 120 years,” according to a study published Dec. 31 in the peer-reviewed journal Natura Croatica.
The team searched the village but couldn’t find any “typical mole-rat hills,” the study said.
The team’s luck changed in June 2023 when a cat turned up in Anđelko Ištuk’s garden with a blind mole rat in its mouth. A photo shows the “unexpected rediscovery.”
Researchers collected the blind mole rat from the cat and analyzed its DNA, the study said. The results confirmed it was a Western mole rat, scientifically known as Nannospalax monticola, but also suggested it might be a previously unknown species of blind mole rat.
Blind mole rats are burrowing animals, spending most of their lives deep underground where they feed on plants, the study said. Many species of blind mole rat look similar, making them difficult to classify scientifically.
Efforts to protect Croatia’s blind mole rats are ongoing, including a project by the organization BIOTA. Photos shared by the organization on Facebook in April show one of these fuzzy mole rats.
Vučedol, an east Croatia village near the border with Serbia, “likely hosts the last population of mole rats in Croatia,” researchers said.
The research team included Martina Podnar, Jadranka Mauch Lenardić, Dejan Kulijer, Vinko Ljubas, Daniela Hamidović and Nikola Tvrtković.
Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from BIOTA.
This story was originally published December 30, 2024 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Prey caught by house cat turns out to be mammal thought extinct in Croatia for years."
