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Bronx Zoo News & Events
A Little Recognition for Rodents
Ring in the Year of the Rat at the World of Darkness
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 Get an underground view of the colony.
©Photo by J.Maher; video by L.Groskin
| They’ll shy away from the spotlight, but the Zoo’s naked mole-rats are having their night at the World of Darkness. Just in time for the Chinese Year of the Rat, the Zoo’s colony recently welcomed in a litter of pups.
Tunnel vision
Zoogoers who venture into the World of Darkness can watch the colony on our Mole-Cam, which offers close-up views of the mole-rats eating, huddling, and clambering around in their underground burrow habitat. The burrow features a variety of tunnels and chambers, including a “pantry” for collecting and storing food and a “nursery” where pups are raised. It takes a full year for pups to reach adult size, but they begin gathering food,
excavating and cleaning the burrow, and participating in other adult “jobs” at just a few months of age.
Feeling around in the dark
Odd-looking they may be, but naked mole-rats are perfectly suited to their habitat in northeast Africa’s arid soils. They use their prominent incisors to excavate their extensive burrow systems. Out of the sun’s reach, they have little use for protective hairs or eyesight, since the tunnels are dark and generally warm. The few fine hairs on their bodies act like whiskers to help them feel what’s around. Hairs along the edges of the animals’ feet help sweep dirt away as they dig. While naked mole-rats are not completely blind, they can see very little with their tiny eyes. They rely much more on their senses of hearing, smell, and touch.
What’s in a name?
The naked mole-rat is neither a mole nor a rat, but it is a rodent nonetheless. These mammals are more closely related to porcupines, chinchillas, and guinea pigs than to their namesakes. They are unique in both appearance and behavior. Their social system is similar to that of bees, with a queen and other ranks including workers and breeders. The queen is the largest member of the colony and the only reproductive female. While her “servants” are responsible for maintaining the burrow system, the queen has a big job of her own to do. She gives birth to four or five litters of pups a year, with up to 27 young at a time!
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