Naked mole rats might not be the image of good looks, yet these wrinkly rodents might just hold the secret to long and healthy lives. Here are a few fun facts about these amazing nude dudes.
Naked mole rats don't feel pain like other rodents. Their pain receptors are less sensitive, which means they can put up with hotter, harsher conditions.
Unlike their rodent cousins, naked mole rats almost never succumb to cancer as they age. These wrinkly creatures can survive into their thirties, a span five times longer than expected for a mammal of their size.
Naked mole rats' cooperative social behaviour may contribute to their longevity. There is one breeding female called the queen, and the rest of the mole rats chip in to protect her and the colony from harm.
Naked mole rat babies are born with unusually well-developed brains, more like newborn primates than rodents. Intriguingly, the make-up of their nerve cells is closer to humans than mice.