fossorial

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A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae. It is an adjective most commonly used as to describe the habit of living underground, even if the physical adaptations are minimal - thus, most bees and many wasps are called "fossorial Hymenoptera", and a great many rodents are considered fossorial. Some organisms are fossorial to aid in temperature regulation, while others utilize the underground habitat for protection from predators or food.

See also

• Cursorial
• Arboreal

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