mole rat, naked

Small underground mammal, almost hairless, with a disproportionately large head. The mole rat is of importance to zoologists as one of the very few mammals that are eusocial, that is, living in colonies with sterile workers and one fertile female. (Species Heterocephalus glaber.)

Its underground colonies comprise one breeding female and up to three breeding males in a colony of approximately 75 closely related animals, most being functionally sterile workers of either sex. The breeding female produces litters of around 25 pups.

Tool use has been observed in naked mole rats by US researchers in 1998. The animals hold a piece of tuber or wood in their mouths when gnawing anything that produces dust. This ‘mask’ lessens the amount of dust inhaled.