Antwerp Zoo welcomes colony of naked mole-rats
Antwerp Zoo has welcomed a new animal species: a colony of naked mole-rats in a network of specially designed tunnels. As the name suggests, these animals have a striking hairless appearance.
Naked mole-rats are found in the wild in East Africa, where they live underground. They are the only mammals to live in a hierarchical group structure similar to bees and ants, with a queen at the head. She lives with a harem of four males and five female workers.
Each member of the colony has specific tasks such as babysitting, partner, tunnel builder, cleaner, “cook” or protector. Their tunnel system has rooms with functions such as a dining room, living room, nursery and bedroom. The “toilet” is located in a dead-end tunnel.
“What makes them even more special is their appearance,” said zookeeper Anke in a press release. "They look like pink walking sausages with long front teeth and a few hairs.
"With their bald, pink and wrinkled skin, they ... behave largely like cold-blooded animals that depend on the environment for their body temperature. They warm up in shallow tunnels and burrows and cool down in the depths."
The animals are virtually blind but use their whiskers, nose and hearing to navigate. They dig tunnels with their teeth.
In the wild, naked mole-rats eat pieces of roots and tubers without killing the plant. They do not drink, they only get moisture from their food. At Antwerp Zoo, the animals are mainly fed vegetables, a little fruit and protein in the form of chicken and oatmeal.
Naked mole-rats can live up to 28 years, which is a long life for rodents. Their bodies also rarely show any external signs of ageing. They are also extremely resistant to cancer, which makes them interesting subjects for scientific study.
#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO ZOO ANTWERPEN JONAS VERHULST
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