The naked-mole rat is about 10cm long with a 4cm tail. The biggest are the queen and males. The queen is able to make herself longer when the time comes to be a queen. They have pinkish skin with a semi translucent on the underside with a light purplish brown back. They have been losing this counter shading within the generations. They have little hairs between their toes to act as a sweep to dig and clean through their tunnels. They are nearly hairless except their toes and whiskers. They also have enlarged front teeth to help to dig and to eat.

The naked-mole rat lives underground in arid savannah and grasslands. They make complex tunnels to which their colony is located. They are able to live in tropical and terrestrial areas. They are found in Africa. Mainly in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. They are uncountable because of how they live underground.

This animal is largest where their food plants are most abundant. The naked-mole rat is growing because of their safety within the tunnels. Their diet is high in cellulose, mostly eat tubers and roots. They have no need to compete for the food because of how they are underground. They also have no competition for the food because of the reason for being underground.

The only predator that the naked-mole rat has is the snake. The snake crawls into their tunnels hoping to catch some food. The rats have this complex colony where they have soldier rats to help defend the colony.

This species is very interesting in many ways. First I learned that the females can make themselves longer. One amazing thing to me that I read was that their sexes are alike but different in a little way.

Author: Stephen F
Published: 02/2007

Sources:
Ciszek, D. 1999. "Heterocephalus glaber" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed January & February, 2007
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Heterocephalus_glaber.html. Lyons, Gray.
“Basic Biology and Habitat of Naked-Mole Rat.” Janaury And February. 2007 Naked-Mole Rats. USA: Holt,Rinehart and Winston,2001.