Upper Galilee Mountains blind mole-rat

The Upper Galilee Mountains blind mole-rat ("Spalax galili") is an extant species of subterranean rodent within the family Spalacidae, indigenous to Upper Galilee in northern Israel. Following the identification of "S. galili" in 2001, Nevo "et al." recorded specimens in the vicinity surrounding the Kerem Ben Zimra settlement.
S. galili is a model organism for the adaptation to underground conditions and has been genome sequenced in 2014.