Did you know?
Mole rats dig elaborate burrow systems. They are adapted to life underground with their protruding incisors that are used for digging, their robust bodies and their greatly reduced eyes and ears. Like some insects (i.e. bees and termites) mole rats are considered to be eusocial, whereby division of labour and pronounced communication is characterized by olfactory cues.
Characteristics
| Classification | Order: rodents, family: blesmols (burrowing rodents) |
|---|---|
| Diet | Roots, tubers, herbs, grasses and grass roots |
| Habitat | Dry steppes and savannahs with sandy soils |
| Reproduction | Breeding all year round; gestation period: 59–66 days, 2–4 young; birth weight: 8–10 grams; only the highest-ranking female (the queen) is reproductively active |
Status according to Red List
More information you will get on the web page of the IUCN Red List.
