Zokors burrow underground and feed on the roots of crops, making them serious agricultural pests.
Tips
usage
fén is a bound form — it appears only in 鼢鼠 (zokor), a stocky burrowing rodent of the family Spalacidae. Zokors live across northern China, with small eyes, no visible ears, and large incisors used like shovels. Folk names include 盲鼠 (blind rat) and 地羊 ('earth-sheep' — a Northwest dialectal name). The animal is a familiar pest in farming districts; the character itself is rare outside zoology and agriculture writing.
Left rat radical (Kangxi #208) — a pictograph of a rat with whiskers, claws, and a long tail. Marks the character as a rodent species. Same radical family: 鼠 (rat), 鼩 (shrew), 鼯 (flying squirrel).
Right phonetic 分 — supplies the sound (fēn → fén, regular tone shift). The same phonetic anchors 粉 (powder), 份 (portion), 氛 (atmosphere), 纷 (numerous).
