Fun Facts!

Their teeth are so strong, they can chew through concrete!

In April of 2002, a captive male naked mole rat died at an estimated age of more than 28 years, setting a new record for the world's longest-lived rodent, which was previously held by a porcupine that lived for 27 years and 4 months.

Naked Mole Rat

Heterocephalus glaber

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

These small rodents have cylindrical bodies and short limbs, adapted for burrow-living. Their skin is almost hairless, pink and saggy, which makes them appear ‘naked.’ Their eyes are tiny and can only see light and dark, and they have tiny ears. They have large front-and-center incisor teeth, which are used for digging. The incisors stick out of their mouth, and their lips close behind them. They have whiskers and sensitive guard hairs scattered all over their otherwise ‘naked’ body.

HABITAT

They live in burrow systems and are native to the drier parts of the tropical grasslands in East Africa, predominantly South Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

DIET IN THE WILD

They primarily eat tubers, a portion of a plant that is found underground. Rarely, they have been know to eat above-ground vegetation. Naked mole rats will eat small portions of the tubers so they will grow back again.

BEHAVIOR

Similar to ants, termites, and some bees and wasps, naked mole rats live in a colony, complete with a queen and a variety of workers and soldiers. The colony is always busy foraging for food. They are cold-blooded, and need the temperature around them to remain constant - as little change as possible. This need for a consistent temperature keeps them underground for most of their lifetime. If put end to end, the tunnel systems built by naked mole rats can stretch as far as 2-3 miles.

STATUS IN THE WILD / CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Their numbers in the wild are plentiful, with few if any predators due to their life underground. They are not a protected conservation species.

LIFE SPAN

It is unknown how long they live in the wild, but have lived for more than 25 years in captivity.