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Well hello everyone, hope everyone is well and ready to see a naked mole rat, yeah that's what it is on this creature day.
Looking like a cross between an uncooked sausage and a miniature walrus, the naked mole rat fits into a teacup.
These virtually hairless mammals live in colonies of 20-300 individuals in an area around the size of half a dozen football fields, however, big that is. They rarely leave the safety of their sandy burrows in sub-Saharan Africa.
Like bees and ants the colony is lead by a queen, foot soldiers dig the burrows, collect food and tend to the young but she is the only one allowed to breed.
They eat roots and bulbs but also are known to eat their own poo, they have even been known to chew through concrete. They don't drink water and their teeth can operate individually with a quarter of the muscle mass being in their jaw.
They have a lifespan of 10-30years
Most people think they are blind and yes their tiny eyes are not much use underground but they can still see a little bit. However, they mostly rely on their senses of hearing, smell and touch more then their sight.
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I've never met this creature before! Thanks for the introduction, Jo-Anne!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know anything about it till now
DeleteI have actually seen pictures of these strange creatures before. And they truly are strange--living in a colony like they do.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of them till now and I find them interesting
DeleteI always try to be kind about all species of animals, but the mole rat is not as handsome as a Labrador puppy or a koala bear, is it? Still, naked wrinkly skin and central teeth must have sex appeal for other mole rats.. otherwise how would they breed?
ReplyDeleteNo it is an ugly creature in my eyes but I agree other naked mole rats may see it differently
DeleteThey do look a bit weird Jo-Anne, and I didn't know about them.
ReplyDeleteYeah weird indeed
DeleteUncooked sausage lol!
ReplyDelete