Naked Mole Rat Heterocephalus glaber

The Naked Mole Rat (also Mole-rat) is a most unusual animal. In its own genus, but related to other mole-rats, it is native to East Africa, living in tunnels beneath the plains. It has no pain sensors on its skin and is a thermoconformer rather than thermoregulator (lets its body temperature be as the surroundings). It has very strong jaws and can tunnel through concrete.

The Naked Mole Rat lives in colonies like social bees, with the queen and a couple of males breeding, the queen suckling the young and the rest of the colony caring for them. Diet is mainly roots and tubers. Their strong teeth are also a key sensory tool more useful to them than their weak eyes, ears and whiskers. They can live for some 30 years (very long-lived for a rodent) and are said to be resistant to cancer.