This is one strange little hairless
creature. It is an African rodent commonly called the Naked Mole Rat.
These rodents live almost exclusively underground in tunnel systems
that can extend for up to three miles. Their uniqueness doesn’t end
with just their looks.
One amazing thing about them is they
are cancer free. Scientists believe this is because of a special gene
called P16. But whatever the cause they are the longest living
rodents in the world with life spans of over 20 years. The oldest on
record was 28 years.
They live in colonies very similar to
ant colonies. The average colony consists of around 80 rats. Each
colony has one queen, and a few mating males. The rest of the colony
population is made up of sterile workers, which gather food, and
soldiers, which protect the colony from intruders. These, and another
type of mole rat, are the only mammals to live this way.
Their lungs are small, but their bodies
use oxygen very effectively. They can almost shut down their
metabolism for long periods of time. They also can’t feel pain
because of the lack of a neurotransmitter and they cannot regulate
their body temperature like other mammals. The complexity and size of
God's creation never ceases to amaze me.
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