Definition

Noun: 1. A small, nearly hairless rodent native to East Africa: This animal has a unique, wrinkled, pinkish appearance. It lives in large underground colonies and feeds primarily on plant tubers. Its social structure is highly organized, similar to that of eusocial insects like bees and termites, with a single breeding queen and specialized worker roles.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The naked mole rat is one of the most unusual mammals in the world.
  • Scientists study naked mole rats to understand their remarkable resistance to cancer.
  • A colony of naked mole rats can contain hundreds of individuals.

Advanced Usage

• As a model organism in scientific research: The term is frequently used in biology and gerontology due to the animal's unique traits.
  • The naked mole rat's longevity and cancer resistance make it a valuable subject for medical research.

Variants and Related Words

• Heterocephalus glaber: The scientific (Latin) name for the naked mole rat.
• Sand puppy: An informal, alternative common name for the animal.

Synonyms

• Blesmol (more general, refers to the family of mole-rats to which it belongs).
• Sand puppy (informal).

Related Concepts

• Eusociality: The complex, colony-based social structure exhibited by naked mole rats, which is rare in mammals.
• Subterranean: Referring to its life spent almost entirely underground.
• Rodent: The broader order of mammals to which it belongs.

Noun

1. fetal-looking colonial rodent of East Africa; neither mole nor rat; they feed on tubers and have a social structure similar to that of honeybees and termites