Naked Mole Rat
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| Naked Mole Rat | ||||||||||||||
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| Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell, 1842 |
The Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber), or Sand Puppy, is a very unusual burrowing rodent native to arid parts of East Africa. It is the only species currently classified in genus Heterocephalus.
Naked Mole Rats live underground in a complex system of burrows. They have a complex social structure in which only one or two individuals reproduce. While typical individuals are 8-10cm long and weigh 30-35gm, the reproductive females are larger and may weight over 50gm. This eusocial organisation, similar to that found in ants and bees, is believed to be unique among mammals.
A naked mole rat is featured in the Disney cartoon Kim Possible.