Heterocephalus glaber Rüppell, 1842

Body Length and Baseline Weight

Typical Heterocephalus glaber (naked mole-rat) individuals are 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long and weigh 30 to 35 grams (1.1 to 1.2 oz). Breeding females are larger, may weigh well over 50 grams (1.8 oz), and the largest individuals reach 80 grams (2.8 oz).

Underground Adaptation Overview

This species is well adapted to underground life. Naked mole-rats have quite small eyes and poor visual acuity.

Limb Structure and Locomotion

Their legs are thin and short, but they are highly skilled at moving underground and can move backward just as fast as they can move forward.

Digging Adaptations

They use their large, protruding teeth for digging, and their lips seal just behind the teeth to keep soil from entering their mouths while they dig. Roughly a quarter of their musculature is used to close their jaws during digging.

Skin and Hair Characteristics

They have very little hair, which gives them their common name, with wrinkled pink or yellowish skin. They do not have an insulating layer in their skin.

Native Geographic Range

The naked mole-rat is native to the drier areas of tropical grasslands in East Africa, primarily found in southern Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.