What Can Naked Mole Rats Teach Researchers About Longevity And Resilience? : Shots Health News : NPR
Table Of Content Their Teeth Can Move Independently FAMILY LIFE Naked And Unafraid: 6 Wild Facts About Naked Mole Rats Paint Horse Science Female mate choice The curious case of the naked mole-rat: defying conventions of aging and reproduction Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now The other naked mole rats in the colony function as either workers or soldiers. Workers are approximately 7.5 cm long and 35 grams (1.25 ounces) in weight; they dig tunnels, gather food, and care for pups. Soldiers, by contrast, use their comparatively larger size, approximately 55 grams (2 ounces) in weight, to protect the queen and the colony from snakes and other predators. Despite the name, naked mole-rats are more closely related to porcupines, chinchillas or guinea pigs than they are to moles or rats. Their Teeth Can Move Independently Without this ability, surviving in burrows where oxygen is at a premium would be next to impossible. Because they spend so much time in cramped tunnel...