Page 32 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

32 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Many burrowing animals live in large family groups, but
Naked mole rat habitats
naked mole rats have a system that makes them almost
unique in the mammal world.Their large, underground
‘nests’ contain up to 300 individuals, but only one female
produces young.This is called eusociality.
Just like in a bee hive, this ‘queen’ dominates and
controls the entire group. However, the queen bee is the
only fertile female in a hive. Mole rat communities contain
fertile members of both sexes.The queen mole rat
maintains her supremacy, and stops other females from
breeding, using chemical warfare! Her urine contains
pheromones that surpress the urge to breed. She’s also a
merciless bully, and a combination of stress and
intimidation play a part in keeping other females in line.
The queen may have up to three mates and produces as
many as four litters a year.As soon as her pups are grown,
they join her army of workers – and it seems that every
new worker has a specific job to do. Some are tunnellers,
responsible for maintaining and adding to the burrow’s
passageways, nest chambers, food stores, defecation sites other mammals to do so are the Damaraland mole rats
and bolt holes. Some are soldiers, who protect the group (Cryptomys damarensis), which live in sub-Saharan Africa.
from predators. Some are even ‘farmers’, who create and
maintain the nests’ self-renewing food stores.They do this Subterranean specialists
by removing just part of a root or tuber, then sealing them All successful animals adapt to make the most of their
up in a special chamber until they’ve regrown. environment – and the naked mole rat is a true
Although ant, termite and some bee communities subterranean specialist. Just one look at these weird and
all form eusocial societies, it’s unusual to find mammals wonderful creatures tells us that they’re built for
living in such structured and hierarchical groups.The only tunnelling.Their low-set, streamlined bodies, small eyes

Comparisons

The Cape dune mole rat, native to the dunes and plains of South (12in). Despite the difference in size and coat, these two mole rat
Africa, is the largest member of the mole rat family, weighing 16 times species have a remarkably similar body shape – a reflection of their
more than the naked mole rat, with a body length of more than 30cm similar burrowing lifestyles.

Cape dune mole rat

Naked mole rat

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