What kind of animal is a tuco-tuco?

Tuco-tucos live in excavated burrows and spend a majority (up to 90%) of their lives underground. It is estimated that they represent about 45% of all the underground rodents of the world. Their burrows maintain a fairly constant temperature and humidity level that is independent of the geographic region. In order to excavate the soil, they have many morphological adaptations, including their body shape, reduced eyes, and strong limbs. Their olfaction is increased and is used to help orient themselves during digging and establishing a territory. The two techniques they use for digging are scratch-digging and skull-tooth digging. A combination of the two methods are often used. Their claws and forelimbs are used primarily for scratch-digging, and their skull and incisor teeth are used secondarily for skull-tooth digging.