{"id":8079,"date":"2023-05-09T08:22:26","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T06:22:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/?post_type=animal&#038;p=8079"},"modified":"2026-07-02T11:32:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T09:32:22","slug":"naked-mole-rat","status":"publish","type":"animal","link":"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/en\/animals\/naked-mole-rat\/","title":{"rendered":"Naked Mole-rat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Taxonomy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phylum:\u00a0Chordata \u2013 Chordates\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Class:\u00a0Mammalia \u2013 Mammals\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Order:\u00a0Rodentia \u2013 Rodents\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family:\u00a0Heterocephalidae\u00a0\u2013 Mole-rats\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Species:\u00a0Naked mole-rat\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<em>Heterocephalus\u00a0glaber<\/em>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conservation<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n    <div class=\"zoo-animal-details\">\n        <div class=\"born-container is-default\">\n            <div class=\"inner\">\n\n                \n                    <div class=\"item\">\n                        <div class=\"icon\">\n                            <img srcset=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/iucn-lc-e1695033593303.png 2x\" alt=\"\">\n                        <\/div>\n                        <div class=\"text\">\n                            IUCN &#8211; LC (Least Concern)                          <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n                    \n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Distribution\u00a0and habitat<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naked mole-rats\u00a0are found in eastern Africa\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ethiopia,\u00a0Somalia\u00a0and Kenya. They live underground\u00a0in\u00a0savannah and grasslands, forming tunnel systems at a depth of two meters. Tunnel systems can be up to 3 km long and have\u00a0chambers\u00a0for\u00a0different functions\u00a0like nursery,\u00a0bathroom\u00a0and food storage.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17905\" style=\"width:600px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-350x175.jpg 350w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-600x300.jpg 600w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-580x290.jpg 580w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1-1160x580.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izplatiba-kaila-kurmjzurka-1.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Adaptions<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naked mole-rats\u00a0are small rodents. They are on average 10 cm long and weigh around\u00a040 g.\u00a0Breeding females\u00a0are larger and heavier.\u00a0Naked mole-rats\u00a0are naked\u00a0\u2013\u00a0their skin is pink with\u00a0tiny, sensitive\u00a0hairs. They have\u00a0very small, poorly developed eyes that are covered with thick eyelids\u00a0that protect eyes while digging underground.\u00a0They\u00a0primarily\u00a0use touch and scent while living in the underground.\u00a0Like typical rodents\u00a0they\u00a0have two\u00a0long incisors, which are used for tunnel digging and\u00a0eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Diet<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naked mole-rats are\u00a0herbivorous.\u00a0They feed on plant roots\u00a0and tubers.\u00a0Mole-rats\u00a0store food in special tunnel chambers\u00a0for later\u00a0use when\u00a0fresh\u00a0food is not available.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Breeding<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Naked mole-rats\u00a0have a special social hierarchy\u00a0that resembles bees. They live in organized families with one\u00a0queen (breeding female)\u00a0and\u00a0her\u00a0subjected generations. The\u00a0queen chooses a couple of oldest\u00a0and strongest males to\u00a0breed with, while the rest of\u00a0the mole-rats\u00a0are &#8220;workers&#8221;. Other females\u00a0in the colony\u00a0become sterile. Each worker has their own task\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0looking for food,\u00a0dig tunnels, protect\u00a0the tunnels\u00a0or care for babies. One colony can reach 100 individuals and have their own unique smell of recognition. The\u00a0queen gives birth to 11-12 babies once a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conservation and threats<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The naked\u00a0mole-rat\u00a0is not endangered in the wild, but potential threats\u00a0are expansion of agricultural lands. The wild colonies of the\u00a0mole-rats\u00a0are located in\u00a0protected areas and have also successfully managed captive\u00a0colonies in zoos.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>References:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AnimalDiversityWeb.&nbsp;Heterocephalus&nbsp;glaber. Naked mole rat.\u202f&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/animaldiversity.org\/accounts\/Heterocephalus_glaber\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/animaldiversity.org\/accounts\/Heterocephalus_glaber\/<\/a>\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maree, S. &amp; Faulkes, C. 2016.&nbsp;<em>Heterocephalus&nbsp;glaber<\/em>&nbsp;(errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T9987A115095455. https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.2305\/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T9987A22184136.en.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2960,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","inline_featured_image":false},"animal-category":[38,36],"animal-filter-1":[],"animal-filter-2":[],"class_list":["post-8079","animal","type-animal","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Naked Mole-rat - Zoo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/en\/animals\/naked-mole-rat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Naked Mole-rat - Zoo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taxonomy Conservation\u00a0 Distribution\u00a0and habitat\u00a0 Naked mole-rats\u00a0are found in eastern Africa\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ethiopia,\u00a0Somalia\u00a0and Kenya. 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They are on average 10 cm long and weigh around\u00a040 [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/en\/animals\/naked-mole-rat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zoo\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-02T09:32:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/kailais-smilsracejs-2.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/\",\"name\":\"Naked Mole-rat - Zoo\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/kailais-smilsracejs-2.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-09T06:22:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-02T09:32:22+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/kailais-smilsracejs-2.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/05\\\/kailais-smilsracejs-2.jpeg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Naked Mole-rat. \u2013 Photo: Sergejs \u010ci\u010dagovs\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/naked-mole-rat\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"S\u0101kums\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Animals\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/animals\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Naked Mole-rat\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Zoo\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/rigazoo.lv\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Naked Mole-rat - Zoo","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/rigazoo.lv\/en\/animals\/naked-mole-rat\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Naked Mole-rat - Zoo","og_description":"Taxonomy Conservation\u00a0 Distribution\u00a0and habitat\u00a0 Naked mole-rats\u00a0are found in eastern Africa\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Ethiopia,\u00a0Somalia\u00a0and Kenya. 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