Extraordinary creatures: naked mole rats

Naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are small (35–45 g) rodents from East Africa that live communally in burrows that can extend over 3 km and reach 2 m deep. The animals lack a fur coat and regulate their body temperature poorly. They are one of only two species of eusocial mammal and colonies in the wild can reach 300 individuals but more usually comprise ∼60–75 mole rats. Each colony has a single reproductive queen that can live over 40 years, which is ∼10 times the life expectancy of other similarly sized rodents. Comparative gerontologist Rochelle Buffenstein has worked with these remarkable mammals for more than 40 years, investigating many aspects of their physiology and ageing biology, and neurobiologist Thomas Park investigates their extreme tolerance of hypoxia. Together, they tell Journal of Experimental Biology about these extraordinary creatures and how they are exquisitely adapted to their exceptionally harsh living conditions.