This extravagant rodent is the focus of scientific research due to its incredible longevity, very high resistance to developing tumors and, in addition, it has “hot and cold” blood and is the only mammal that behaves like insects.

Last year, in the month of April, two other breeding groups of naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) from the Institut Für Zoo-Und Wildtierforschung Berlin, (GERMANY), one of them large consisting of 19 individuals (7 males and 12 females) and the other a pair, male and female. In the first of these, the birth of a litter has just occurred.

this rodent It is unique among mammals for presenting a “eusocial” way of life., similar to that of some insects such as ants or bees. The life of the colony is governed by chemical mechanisms, where There is only one reproductive female, the “queen”., and one to three reproductive males or “drones”. The rest of the individuals in the colony are sterile and are part of the “working class”, either as “servants”, “sappers” who dig the tunnels and “soldiers”.

Its special metabolism has sparked interest in the scientific community. They are the longest living rodents; They reach 30 years of life, something exceptional for such a small mammal. Cancer has a minimal incidence in this species; They have a special gene, p16, that prevents the disordered growth of cells and the development of tumors.

They are perfectly adapted to hypogeal life (underground) and depending on the level of oxygen they go from homeothermic (“hot” blood like other mammals) to pokilothermic (“cold” blood like reptiles).

The Naked Mole Rat It is a rodent with an exclusively underground existence that It lives in the subsoil of the arid areas of the so-called “Horn of Africa” (Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti). They are perfect excavators, their colonies create extensive tunnel systems that can measure several kilometers in length. At BIOPARC Valencia we can see them in the area that recreates the underground life of the Savannah, where the galleries that house them are visible to the public and through glass the visitor can observe their evolution in their tunnels through a complex system of galleries and nest boxes. that allow us to cover the biological requirements of this extraordinary species.

The permanent darkness in which they live has motivated a peculiar anatomy, reducing the size of their eyes and their visual capacity. Their legs are very short and allow them to move quickly in the tunnels, both forward and backward. The head is disproportionate, with very small eyes and ears, and has large incisors with which to dig in the hard earth, which also separate and move independently. The skin It lacks hair and adipose panniculus.

One of the objectives of BIOPARC Valencia is to publicize the rich biodiversity of the planet and the need to conserve it., where all species are essential. Thus, during a visit to the park, you can see habitats and species as unknown as the naked mole rat and other emblematic ones such as gorillas, elephants or giraffes.