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Common Name: Damarland Mole Rat
Scientific Name: Fukomys fidamarensis

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Bathyergidae
Genius: Fukomys
Species: F. fidamarensis

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As you can see, a Damarland Mole Rat isn’t likely to win any beauty contests but it sure does have some really of interesting facts.

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Damarland Mole Rats are endowed with pinkish-gray, wrinkly skin, scant hair, long buck teeth, and downright ugly. They are 8-9 cm long, can weigh up to 30-80 grams and they live for about 13-18 years.

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Damarland Mole Rats spend virtually their entire lives in the total darkness of underground burrows. They’re found in the Arid soils of Africa. These animals continually dig tunnels to look for food and evade the deadly jaws of snakes.

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Damarland Mole Rats are found in arid areas of East Africa. They live in colonies of 75-80 individuals. There is one female, three males to reproduce and the rest defend and work.

Damarland Mole Rats can weigh 1000 times the body weight of a typical Damarland Mole Rat. Once in a while, Damarland Mole Rats eat their own feces called Coprophagia. Plus, a single tuber can provide a colony with a long-term source of food lasting for months and sometimes years.

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Ever since I did research on the Damarland Mole Rat, I found out a couple interesting facts like the Damarland Mole Rat can resist from cancer, it has never been observed in them. Plus a Damarland Mole Rat can weigh as much as 1000 times the body weight of a typical mole rat.

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Author: Jeremiah S.
Published: 10/2012

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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/naked_mole_rat
http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/rodents/mole_rat_naked.html
http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2002/3nakedmolerats.cfm) , Jill Locantore, Smithsonian ZooGoer, May/June 2002

 

 

 

 

 

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