Area of zoo
Enclosure status
Open
IUCN status
Least Concern
Scientific name
Heterocephalus glaber
Order
Rodentia
Type
Mammals
Family
Heterocephalidae
Region
East Africa
Habitat
Underground
Naked mole-rat facts
- Naked mole-rats can survive with little oxygen.
- They’re resistant to some forms of pain.
- Unlike other mammals, they’re also almost completely cold blooded.
- They sleep on their backs.
- Naked mole-rats very rarely get cancer.
- They have very long lifespans for rodents, living up to 32 years.
- Naked mole-rats can move their front teeth independently of each other.
Where do naked mole-rats live?
Underground burrows across the arid savannas and shrublands of the Horn of Africa. They live together in colonies of around 75 individuals, with one breeding female called the queen.
What do naked mole-rats eat?
Underground roots, bulbs and tubers. They don't drink, but get all the water they need from food. They also eat their own poo to maximise nutrient uptake.