Naked mole-rat
burrowing rodent; one of only two known eusocial mammals
The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing rodent native to the Horn of Africa and parts of Kenya, notably in Somali regions. It is the only species in the genus Heterocephalus.
The naked mole-rat exhibits a highly unusual set of physiological and behavioural traits that allow it to thrive in a harsh underground environment, most notably its being the only mammalian thermoconformer with an almost entirely ectothermic (cold-blooded) form of body temperature regulation, as well as exhibiting eusociality, a complex social structure including a reproductive division of labour, separation of reproductive and non-reproductive castes, and cooperative care of young. The closely related Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) is the only other known eusocial mammal. Naked mole-rats lack pain sensitivity in their skin, and have very low metabolic and respiratory rates. The animal is also remarkable for its longevity and resistance to cancer and oxygen deprivation.
Although closely related to the blesmols, more recent investigation places it in a separate, exclusive family, Heterocephalidae, and no longer in the same family as other African mole-rats, Bathyergidae.
Description
Typical naked mole-rat individuals are 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long and weigh 30 to 35 grams (1.1 to 1.2 oz). Breeding females are larger and may weigh well over 50 grams (1.8 oz), the largest reaching 80 grams (2.8 oz). They are well adapted to their underground existence.
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