Ecophysiological responses to a subterranean habitat; A Bathyergid perspective.

Mammals that lend a strictly subterranean existence encounter very different physiological problems to those living above the ground. While an underground habitat effectively very shields the inhabitants from extreme climatic stresses and predation, it also provides a dark and poorly ventilated environment. Specialized physiological features in this milieu include altered sensory perception, vitamin D status and concomitant mineral metabolism, relaxed thermoregulation and specialised gut function. These are just some examples of the many ecophysiological mechanisms employed in adaptive evolution to life underground.