Jul 12, 2007

Upping the Charm

If you hate naked mole-rats, then this isn't the blog for you. I expect I'll return to this rodent every few months, especially when new photos crop up. But you needn't fear that you'll encounter one, unless you are walking the wilds of Africa, or the grounds of one of your nicer zoos.

One interesting factoid is that these rats have developed an almost insect-like social structure. Now that ups their charm.

Thanks for the link, Karen.

Photo source: SFGate.com

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, but I love these guys! Their four front teeth are located outside of the mouth and "can be moved independently, spread apart, or moved together like chopsticks". Like having fingers for teeth. How intensely cool is that? What's not to love?

Anonymous said...

Wow, I didn't know that about their teeth...they always looked like something was wrong with their mouths, like a hare lip, because the incisors weren't in the mouth. Star Wars zoology, for sure.

(Just like the kids on South Park, I learned something today.)

Anonymous said...

This thing looks like a Heironymous Bosch nightmare.

Jack Ruttan said...

Yay naked mole rats!

Anonymous said...

I agree that a lot of these animals are quite ugly. But they are kind funny. They make me laugh...in a nice way.

Anonymous said...

Ahh, naked mole rats. Natures hideous mistake. Proof God does PCP...

Jack Ruttan said...

What ... ? I'm sure they're perfectly evolved for whatever dank hole they live in.

Anonymous said...

Yay! It's Rufus! Ya know, from Kim Possible? Anyways, I love these guys!

Nonexistant Black Feather said...

naked mole rats are the only eusocial mammals, as far as I know. Other eusocial species are some bees and all ants. There are other eusocial creatures, but it's a really rare social structure that only arises when more than one generation lives together, there is a reproductive division of labor (like a queen who produces most of the offspring), and a few other conditions.