Naked mole rats are possibly one of the most bizarre animals on the planet. They are the world’s only ectothermic mammals and can survive 18 minutes without oxygen.
- Naked mole rat: what they are and how the queen rules the colony
- Nature's most bizarre creatures: These are the weirdest mammals on the planet
Also unusual for mammals is that they are eusocial, which means they live in large colonies where only one female breeds and the other mole rats work for the colony.
This isn’t without consequences, as they live so long there is a risk of interbreeding.
- The naked mole rat's superpower: Here's what it reveals about living longer
- Surprising incestuous animals – and why these species prefer to keep it in the family
Naked mole rats are native to the Horn of Africa and parts of Kenya, where they live underground in huge interconnected tunnel systems – with some parts 2.5 metres (6.5 feet) deep. Made up of nest chambers, toilet areas and food sources, these vast networks can stretch up to 2.5 miles (4 kilometres).
- Strange and bizarre underground animals that live beneath our feet
- Ruthless queens that rule their worlds: Meet the female leaders that like to dominate, including murderess meerkats
A typical colony contains around 70 mole rats, although numbers can reach up to 300.
This shouldn’t come as a surpise, as the naked mole rat is an incredibly prolific breeder: the queen can produce up to five litters each year, containing an average of 12 pups (although the maximum is around 30).
- Which rodent lives the longest?
- Which mammal has the biggest litters? Meet the surprisingly small mammal that births plenty of babies
- 10 ruthless queens that rule their worlds: Meet the female leaders that like to dominate, including murderess meerkats
Top image: a naked mole-rat queen suckling pups. Credit: Getty
