Naked News

The naked mole rat has made many appearances on this blog, as is only proper. But there's nothing better than a news story that justifies revisiting these wrinkled, bucktoothed, grotesque creatures, and I've got two of them.

One is the announcement last week that scientists have published the entire genome of the naked mole rat. It took a team of 36 scientists on three continents, and you might wonder, why bother? But as this story from the Washington Post summarizes perfectly, their appearance is not the only thing that's unusual about these animals:

The upside is you live a ridiculously long and healthy life, can’t develop cancer, feel very little pain, never get lonely and have great skin right to the end.

The downside is you breathe stinky air, rarely go outside, tend to get cold, don’t see well, live in a monarchy and can’t count on having sex. (Also, you’re a naked mole rat.)

Scientists hope that information about how the mole rat works at a genetic level will be valuable for solving human health problems. (At least that's what they tell the newspapers; I'm willing to bet that they mostly did it because this animal is so incredibly freaking cool.)

The other bit of naked mole rat news is that today is the 20th anniversary of the arrival of naked mole rats at the National Zoo. I'm tickled to salute these particular mole rats since I have known them personally, but also because I realized that we have never posted a link to the National Zoo Naked Mole Rat Cam. I'm pleased to rectify that omission.

Check out more anniversary photos at the National Zoo's Flickr page.

-In increasingly wrinkly solidarity,
Wombat (No Relation)

Ugly is more than skin deep

The naked mole rat has been the subject of a number of posts on this blog. (Here is one nice one.) This is only proper, since there's nothing about the critter that isn't ugly, from the tip of its gross hairless tail through its misshapen wrinkled body to its buck teeth that are visible even when its mouth is completely closed.

But if you think "poor naked mole rat, if it only had fur, it would be cute," you haven't met the Damaraland mole rat. This less well-known cousin of the naked guys is completely covered with fur, but as you can see, that doesn't make a bit of difference when you've still got tiny pinprick eyes, two holes for a nose, and those same horrible buck teeth.

What's more, it's got the ugliest attitude of just about any animal I've ever met. What you see in the photos above is a colony of Damaraland mole rats in captivity thirsting after the blood of their keeper. Naked mole rats are as weak and inoffensive as they come, but Damaraland mole rats bite first and they don't ask questions later, either. All they do is bite every chance they've got. HARD.

According to the IUCN, the Damaraland mole rat is not endangered, and conservationists don't see any imminent risk to it, so its status is "Least Concern." I can go along with that. Worry about some other species - this animal can obviously take care of itself!

With painful memories,
Wombat (No Relation)

Read more about both kinds of mole rats here. Or don't; it might just encourage them.

Microwaved Hotdogs & Mole-Rats

I've posted on the naked mole-rat before (see this link), but I've recently received a couple of requests to invite them back. Katy sent me this photo, then Lani sent me this article, which has this to say about this rodent's appearance:

"Picture a hot dog that's been left in a microwave a little too long, add some buck teeth at one end, and you've got a fairly good idea of what a Naked Mole Rat looks like."

I love it. But you needn't fear running across one of these in the wild, unless you are one of my African readers. Even then, you probably haven't ever seen one. They live underground and never venture top-side.

The naked mole-rat makes for great children's book material. That's a good thing; we want our kids to know that ugly has its place, too.

Thanks for the links, Katy and Lani!

Photos (1 & 2) courtesy: Lisa

Yet Another Record

I know I just posted on the naked mole-rat, but my favorite animal has just made the news yet again, so it deserves another mention.

Recent research has shown that naked mole-rats have set yet another record (among many): they can go the longest of all mammals without oxygen. Their warrens are disgusting and stuffy--high in carbon dioxide and low in oxygen. But still they thrive. In fact, they can go six times longer in a hypoxic conditions than other rodents.

We mammals have all endured low oxygen environments: the womb. But somehow, the naked mole-rat, who is also immune to pain, is able to maintain an infant-like ability to go without oxygen. This has great significance for humans, as further research into this ability might be able to help those who have suffered damage from low-oxygen conditions, such as those caused by heart attacks and strokes.

Oh, and this rodent is one of the longest living of their kin: the pregnant female below is 15-years-old.

Thanks for the link, Ida.

Photo source: Rochelle Buffenstein/City College of New York via LiveScience.com

Cure for Cancer?

If you've been reading this blog for an significant length of time, then you know of my near reverence for the naked mole-rat. For one, they're hairless rodents -- instant launch to the top of any ugly animal list. But beyond that, they've got some amazing characteristics.

They are the only mammals that are cold-blooded (they maintain their body heat by cuddling and staying underground), are hive-minded (like ants), and are able to enlarge their spine (the queen does, when she ascends the throne). Additionally, their teeth grow outside their lips, so they can keep their mouths closed when they burrow with their teeth. They're known to be incredibly gregarious and curious.

Photo source: Popular Science
















But there's something else about them that has scientists reeling: they're immune to cancer. Us vertebrates have a gene called p27 which serves as our main defense against cancer. But cancers have found ways to circumvent p27, thereby allowing the cancerous cells to proliferate themselves. But naked mole-rats are unique in that they have an additional gene called p16, which stops cancers cold, by preventing the affected cells from replicating themselves.

Is it possible that future humans will be sporting the naked mole-rate p16 in their own DNA? Perhaps the world will become a better place, with us becoming more gregarious. But then we might also become cold-blooded troglodytes that are prone to burrowing and shunning that bright orb hanging in the sky...

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Cold-blooded and Pain Free

As if we didn't already have plenty of reasons to admire the naked mole-rat (unique in so many ways among mammals), we have a few more.

As revealed in an article in Live Science, researchers have determined that naked mole-rats, though very sensitive to touch, are impervious to pain caused by acid or burning. They performed a test, consisting of injecting one paw with what equates to lemon juice and a bit of chili pepper extract (mmm, lemon and pepper...). But the creatures show no response, which makes them unique among mammals. This has significance to us humans, who may benefit from the findings in aiding us in treating chronic pain.

Also, did you know that naked mole-rats are the only cold-blooded mammal (aside from some people I know) on the planet? There is so much more to this little beast than meets the eye (which is quite a jarring experience the first time around).

Thanks for the link, Martha. I love it when uglies (not of the celebrity ilk) make headlines.

Let Them Eat Mole-rat Cake

I'm a huge cake fan. My family (extended included) celebrates over 10 birthdays in June, and I tend to put on as many pounds then as I do around the holidays. Maybe serving up cakes like the one below will help keep my appetite in check.

This cake is brought to us by Cake Wrecks, via both Betsy and Theodosia. It's a naked mole-rat, and it's masterful.





















Now that I think about it, when I 'search out my feelings,' I know that I'm just fooling myself. Assuming it tastes decent, I'd eat this cake with as much gusto as a German chocolate or carrot or confetti cake. There really is no curbing my appetite, unless you tell me you've infused the cake with the very hormones that trigger the newly chosen queen mole-rat to grow in size, causing her spine to enlarge. That might work. I like my spine the way it is.

Thanks, Betsy and Theodosia.

New Favorite

Below is the unmistakable mug of the star-nosed mole (condylura cristata). They are native to the cold environs of eastern Canada and the north-eastern US.

This creature might be my new favorite rodent (though I don't know if it can displace the naked mole-rat). Nothing seems to keep them down: they are active day and night, they are great swimmers and tunnelers, they don't bother hibernating and are even found digging in the snow and swimming in ice-covered streams.

But let's focus on those worm thingies radiating from its nose. There are 22 of them, and each one is mobile and packed with sensors that allow the mole to locate and identify food in a flash. In fact, one report says that they are the world's fastest eater: they can identify and consume individual food items in only 120 milliseconds. That puts my little brother to shame.

Thanks for the link, Karen. You have an eye for ugly.

Photo source: Divaboo.info

Nacktmull

Arne reminded me that it's been a while since my last naked mole-rat (oder Nacktmull, auf Deutsch). It's time to revisit one of my favorite animals.

A few fun factoids about this creature:
1) They are African rodents that live in matriarchal hives.
2) They aren't warm blooded in the true sense of the word: they regulate their body temperature by snuggling with one another (their ugly mugs actually make this image a bit more endearing) and by moving about their labyrinthine (love that word) burrows.
3) Their front teeth are outside their lips, so they don't ingest any dirt while burrowing.

and

4) They are the only animal whose adult spine will lengthen with the proper blend of (natural) hormones. When a new queen is selected, she actually grows in length to reflect her new status. I think my wife has done the same thing: she seems taller and more regal after every child.

Congo Fish

The Dark Continent is the home of many mysteries and has long held the world's imagination. Among its many wonders are its rivers, including the Nile, the Niger, and, of course, the Congo. Other wonders include the naked mole-rat, mummy curses, and an abundance of expatriated bankers and politicians who need my help in securing their millions of dollars.

The Congo is so large that it quite literally divides the biosphere in half. For instance: to the north live the chimps, to the south the bonobos. Not much cross-pollination of species happens across the Congo. And the fish below might be the reason.

The Congo is the watery home to an incredible array of scaly critters (I've posted a couple times on the tiger fish all ready). Feel free to click on the image below to get a better look at some of the Congo's denizens. Of particular note is the Skeletonfish in the middle of the photo, which hearkens back to those mummy curses I was talking about.

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Photo source: LiveScience.com

Paca Poo

A variant on an old sales addage: if alpaca manure sells, sell alpaca manure. But of course marketing still has its place. The product will be called 'paca poo.'

A school boosters club in St. Charles, Il., will be selling alpaca manure to raise funds. In place of baked goods or a barbecue, their product is 30 lbs bags of alpaca pellets for use in your garden. It really does make for great fertilizer, and given its size and texture, it's easy to work with.

I applaud ingenuity like this. Maybe you can think of similar sales for you local charitable fundraisers. How about some naked mole-rat droppings? Mangy Chupacabra or Sasquatch fur? Or cicada molts? So many possibilities.

Thanks for the article, Ida.

Photo source: LA Times

Wallowing in Hideousness

Given some of the comments lately, it would seem that many of you are fans of the naked mole rat, and rightfully so. This poor creature was whacked with several ugly sticks: it's a rodent, it's hairless, and it's subterranean.

Nicholas has blessed us with this shot of an entire tribe of them. These creatures spend their entire lives in darkness, yet here they are being forced to sleep in artificial light. Look at them, wallowing in shame at their own hideousness.

Or perhaps they are basking in it.

Knoxville or Bust

Yahoo is just cranking out the uglies. I couldn't pass up a reference to the naked mole-rat - one of the ugliest denizens of Africa. This particular set is awaiting transfer to the Knoxville Zoo.

Such Courage

The African naked mole-rat has everything wrong with it. I just can't imagine the courage it must have taken to pick it up. Thanks, Riude.

Photo courtesy: nationalzoo.si.edu

Ugly to the Fourth Degree

This creature, known as the naked mole-rat, has four degrees of ugliness:

1) Natural ugliness - needs dental work!
2) Subterranean
3) Hairless
4) Vermin

Doesn't get much worse.

Photo courtesy: www.einheitsschritt.de