Talk:Naked mole rat

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Naked mole rat is included in the 2007 Wikipedia for Schools, or is a candidate for inclusion in future versions. Please maintain high quality standards, and make an extra effort to include free images, because non-free images cannot be used on the CDs.

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[edit] Interesting

What a weird little creature. Any word on why they don't have any hair like other mammals? — Frecklefoot | Talk 16:11, Jan 7, 2005 (UTC)

They have hair. It's just fine and sparse. Concentrated on their heads, base of tail, and between toes.

True. Dora Nichov 03:28, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] As featured in ZooNooz

Naked mole rats were featured in the San Diego Zoo's February 2005 issue ZooNooz. According to this article, the queen mates with 1-3 chosen males, is attended by a few additional mole rats, and bears up to 80 pups a year. The remaining mole rats basically dig tunnels and find food. This article also states that the queen's aggression inhibits other females from becoming fertile, and notes that the absence of Substance P inhibits the feeling of pain. Once a female becomes queen, she actually grows longer as her vertebrae separate. The incisors are used for digging, and can actually be spread apart or drawn together, like chopstick, using muscles comprising about 1/4 of the total muscle mass - Carl Kaun (email in format lastname_firstname@bah.com)

[edit] Diet?

I've been able to find surprisingly little info on naked mole rat diet. What do they eat underground out in the African desert? I'm assuming probably insects, but has their natural diet been ascertained? --Bk0 (Talk) 02:26, 25 December 2005 (UTC)

According to Daniel Dennett's book Darwin's Dangerous Idea (pg 484), they regularly eat their own feces. He doesn't say what else they eat, though... JordanDeLong 03:14, 14 August 2006 (UTC)

They eat roots. Dora Nichov 03:27, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

I added some information about this from The Selfish Gene. I might have overdone the ref markup; I'm not sure how many references are appropriate when it all comes from one source.... JordanDeLong 05:59, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

  • Why is the root measures in the number of rodents (1000 rats) and not Pounds at least,if not a regular kilogram measure? Sochwa 09:00, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Don't get it. Dora Nichov 11:46, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Miscellaneous

I changed a little word-usage error, "nearly unique." There are no degrees of unique. It either is or it isn't.

Nearly unique means rare, duh.

[edit] Image

It looks better on kim possible.lolPeace, Cute 1 4 u 07:23, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

I agree, they are ugly! I guess they don't have to look good cause their eyesight's so bad. LOL PEACE -Pop-Tart(don't ask) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.166.232.131 (talk) 23:47, 22 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Sand Rat ?

I don't think the redirection from Sand Rat to this page is right. Sand Rat is from genus Psammomys and species obesus, which is different from the animal mentioned in this page.

I would agree, sand rats are usually gerbillines. --Aranae 17:57, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

Sand rats are definately different from naked-mole rats. Dora Nichov 03:27, 9 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Naked Mole rat and substance P

I do research on substance P and I am having trouble believing the statement that substance P can be injected into the mole rate and then it experiences pain. Could you supply me with the reference to this fact?Reidtwr 13:23, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Virtually Cold Blooded

The article defines them as being "nearly cold blooded" and "virtually cold blooded" but makes no effort to distinguish the differences between them and the cold blooded of say a reptile. What is the purpose behind the "nearly" and "virtually" qualifiers? I'm actually very interested in knowing how they're not really cold blooded, or if they really are. I personally thought they were and if they're not really, it would be nice to know the details of why or why not.

Ditto. Does that mean they can change their own temperature a -little-? Does it mean their temperature behaves like an ectotherm but has the function and physiological characteristics of an endotherm? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.122.63.142 (talk) 19:14, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Acid and pain

Read this: [1] --85.220.3.168 (talk) 14:12, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Extenable spine

I heard on a nature channel that the queen mole rat can extend her spine once she becomes queen to become larger than the other rats. is this true? If so, should it be added to the article? Sliver Slave (talk) 00:43, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Hmm

Has anyone ever tried to keep one or more of these things as pets? [evil grin] 12.179.169.122 (talk) 17:09, 13 May 2008 (UTC)