The objective of this work was to determine the concentrations of four heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Fe and Cu) in muscle and liver from the solitary subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum from natural dunes, cultivated area and military area with the purpose of assessing their levels and their possible effect on the biology of this small mammal. Only Pb in tissues of C. talarum from the agricultural zone indicates a risk of toxic effects on the organism. Overall concentrations of heavy metals in soils and tissues of C. talarum from all areas are consistent with lightly polluted habitats, although the increments observed in areas under anthropic use suggest for the possibility that carrying out these human activities for long periods of time, or in an intensive way, could exert an evident impact on ecosystems.
We studied the inner ear of Ctenomys talarum, a small solitary subterranean rodent distributed in the southern region of Buenos Aires Province (Argentina) using standard staining techniques. The inner ear of this subterranean rodent is characterized by a long basilar membrane, a higher density of cochlear receptors in the apical region of the basilar membrane and a gradual increment of the width of the triad of outer hair cells from the base towards the apex. These anatomical features of the cochlea of C. talarum can be interpreted as biomechanical specializations to enhance low-frequency sound reception.