Subscribe Now! National Geographic Magazine $15
Visit our Online Shops

Sign up for free

Newsletters

Once a month
get new photos
and expert tips.

Mole Rat
Heterocephalus glaber

Photo: Naked mole rat
A naked mole rat
Photograph by Raymond Mendez/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes

Mole Rat Profile

There are approximately 30 different kinds of mole rats. The best known is probably the naked mole rat, whose hairless, tubular, wrinkled body makes it appear a bit like a tiny walrus—or perhaps a bratwurst with teeth.

Naked mole rats are rodents, but they live in communities like those of many insects. Several dozen rats live together in colonies led by one dominant rat—the queen. As in some insect species, the queen is the only naked mole rat female to breed and bear young.

Worker animals dig the burrows that the whole clan inhabits, using their prominent teeth and snouts. They also gather the roots and bulbs for the colony to eat. Other rats tend to the queen.

Most other types of mole rats live on their own or in small families. Blind mole rats do have tiny eyes, but they are located beneath their skin and fur. These animals rely on sensitive hairs to feel their way through their underground burrows. Though mole rats spend most of their time excavating and foraging in their burrows, they occasionally emerge to search for seeds or other plants.

Mole rats have a wide geographical distribution and can live below sea level or high on mountainside plains. Because of their burrowing lifestyle, they do prefer areas with sandy or loamy soil. Many mole rat species are found in sub-Saharan Africa. Blind mole rats are found primarily in southeastern Europe, the Middle East, and Mediterranean North Africa.

Fast Facts

Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Size: Head and body, 3 to 13 in (8 to 33 cm); Tail, up to 3 in (8 cm)
Weight: 1 oz to 3.3 lbs (28 g to 1.5 kg)
Size relative to a tea cup:
Illustration of the animal's relative size

Multimedia

Small Mammal Features

Photo: Jacobin pigeon

Was Darwin Wrong?

Explore the theory of evolution and learn how nearly half of all Americans consistently reject Darwin's assertions in this interactive feature.

Photo: Meerkats

Stand Tall

Tunnel into the strange social life of the meerkat, Africa's most beloved carnivore, in this multimedia feature.

Other Unfortunate-Looking Animals

Map: Locator map for the naked mole rat
 Mole Rat range

Special Advertising Sections

Photo: El Capitan and the Merced River

Contest Winner Announced!

8 finalists and 3600 votes later... Find who was voted the “Ultimate” photographer!

Photo: The Cloud Gate in Chicago

Download City Guides

Check out the local hotspots with downloadable city guides.

Mammals Right Rail

Get the Latest Headlines

Photo: Grizzly bears

Make us your online news source.

Get Animal Pictures

Photo: Lion yawning

Get your daily dose of photos.

For Kids!

Photo: A cartoon dog

It's no stretch to find fun facts on our Kids site!

Dog Whisperer DVDs & Books

Photo: Dog Whisperer DVD cover

Be a pack leader. Check out our newest Dog Whisperer DVDs and books.

Six Degrees Book and DVD

Image: Six Degrees DVD and book

Get an eye-opening warning of the dangers of climate change, one degree at a time.