FaunaHub

Naked Mole-Rat (Heterocephalus glaber)

MammalRodentEusocial

Naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), a near-hairless pink rodent with large incisors.

Naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber).

Image: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is one of the most extraordinary mammals alive — a small, almost hairless, wrinkled rodent that spends its entire life underground in the dry regions of East Africa. With tiny eyes, large protruding incisors it can move independently like chopsticks, and loose pinkish skin, it looks unlike almost any other mammal. But its most remarkable feature is its social life.

Naked mole-rats are eusocial — they live in large colonies with a single breeding queen and non-breeding workers, a system far more like that of ants, bees, and termites than of typical mammals.

Note: many remarkable claims surround this species (longevity, low cancer rates, low-oxygen tolerance); these are active research areas, so treat specifics as ongoing science and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Naked mole-rats live in the hot, dry grasslands and semi-deserts of the Horn of Africa, including parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. They occupy extensive underground burrow systems that they dig in search of food, rarely if ever coming to the surface, which buffers them from the harsh climate above.

Diet

Naked mole-rats are herbivores that feed mainly on large underground plant storage organs — tubers and roots — which they locate by tunnelling. A big tuber can feed a colony for a long time, and the animals often hollow it out from the inside while leaving the outer skin so it can keep growing. They also eat their own caecal droppings to extract more nutrients.

Behavior

A naked mole-rat colony is organised much like an insect society: one dominant queen breeds, while other members dig tunnels, gather food, and defend and maintain the colony. Workers cooperate to excavate burrows in a chain, passing soil back to the surface. Being nearly cold-blooded in their behaviour, they huddle and move between warmer and cooler tunnels to regulate temperature. They are also noted for tolerating very low-oxygen, high-CO2 air in their burrows.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Naked mole-rats are of great interest to scientists, who study them for their unusual biology — including notable longevity for a rodent, resistance to certain age-related conditions, and tolerance of low-oxygen conditions. This research is ongoing and sometimes popularised in oversimplified ways, so claims should be read with care. The species itself is widespread and not currently of major conservation concern. Consult authoritative sources for details.

More photos of the naked mole-rat

Several naked mole-rats together in a colony.

Naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) in a colony.

Image: Edward Russell, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Naked Mole-Rat

What makes the naked mole-rat "eusocial"?
Like ants, bees, and termites, naked mole-rats live in colonies with a single breeding female — the queen — and many non-breeding members that dig, forage, and defend the colony. This insect-like social system, called eusociality, is extremely rare among mammals, which is what makes the species so unusual.
Why are naked mole-rats hairless?
Their near-hairlessness suits a life spent entirely underground in warm burrows, where thick fur is less useful. Their loose, wrinkled, pinkish skin and reduced eyes are all adaptations to a dark, subterranean existence in a fairly stable burrow climate.
Do naked mole-rats really live a long time?
They are well known for exceptional longevity compared with similar-sized rodents, and they are studied for resistance to some age-related problems. These are active research topics, however, so it's best to treat striking claims as ongoing science and check them against authoritative, up-to-date sources.
What do naked mole-rats eat?
They are herbivores that mainly eat large underground tubers and roots, which they find by digging. A single big tuber can sustain a colony for a long time, and they often eat it out from the inside while leaving the skin so the plant keeps growing.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.