Summary
We describe a vibrational communication system in subterranean mole rats of the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies in Israel. The signals are produced by head thumping against the tunnel ceiling in a rhythmic pattern that appears to be species-specific. These signals may be effective as a means of long-distance communication between individuals within populations, as well as acting as a pre-mating isolating mechanism between populations in the final stages of speciation.
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Heth, G., Frankenberg, E., Raz, A. et al. Vibrational communication in subterranean mole rats (Spalax ehrenbergi). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 21, 31–33 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00324432
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00324432