Build a Naked Mole-Rat Exhibit

artwork with naked mole rat illustration and text

If you've ever been to the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Small Mammal House, you’ve probably seen the naked mole-rats—those small, nearly hairless rodents running through a series of tubes and chambers. These funky Zoo favorites are ready for a home renovation. 

Because of your generosity, we're getting a new exhibit: a corner habitat with more realistic tunnels where guests can see the mole-rats up close and peek at a keeper area behind them, along with a webcam so online viewers can watch the naked mole-rats anytime, anywhere!

We would like to extend a special thank you to the following donors who made this exhibit possible.

Special Thanks to Our Generous Donors

  • Charlotte and Linda Abarbanell
  • Natalie and Annaliese Abt
  • Eleanor D. Acheson
  • Elaine and Seth Akst
  • Jodie and Theodore Allen
  • Jennifer Alvidrez and Carlos Tovar
  • Robert and Vickie Andreae
  • Margaret Aschenbrenner
  • Laura and Charles Bay
  • Laura Beauchamp and Christopher Feldmann
  • Rita Beier Braman and Donald Braman
  • Nancy Y. Bekavac
  • Bonnie Bell
  • David and Carmen Bell
  • Ms. Kyle Z. Bell and Mr. Alan G.R. Bell
  • Randy Bender and Bruce Youngpeter
  • Sean Berkowitz
  • Alice Marie Bettencourt
  • Sharon and Michael Blasgen
  • Nancy Bleil
  • Susan and Karen Bobinyec
  • Jessica Boger
  • Lucia Bragan
  • Anne S. Briber
  • Hal and Diane Brierley
  • J. and Margaret Broaddus
  • E. Irene Brodowicz
  • Eric Brody
  • Martha Brookman
  • Lauren and Matthew Brow
  • Linda Browdy and Michael Hand
  • Maureen Broyles
  • B. Bernei Burgunder
  • Debra Cagan
  • Rita Campbell
  • Susan Carberry and James Marshall
  • Cynthia and Bradford Carpenter
  • Erin Cassidy and Jason Whong
  • Marie and Robert Cecil
  • Wiley and Jayne Chambers
  • Michele Chapman and Gary Sheaffer
  • Jacqueline Cheng
  • Lloyd Chesley
  • Richard and Eleanor Choi
  • Matthew and Sarah Christianson
  • James Clark
  • Karyn and Wayne Clark
  • Ann Clessas
  • Mary E. Clutter
  • Richard Cole
  • Nancy Colladay
  • John and Allison Collins
  • Lori and Sean Conlan
  • Lindsay and Matthew Cooper
  • Linda A. Corey
  • James Cox
  • Deborah and William Davis
  • Philip Dawson
  • Maryann and Stephen Dembek
  • Paul and Becky Dhyse
  • Desiree Di Mauro and Todd Thompson
  • Myris M. Dierlich
  • John and Eileen Dietz
  • Ariana and Frank DiMeo
  • Virginia and Keith DuFresne
  • James and Timoney Dunlap
  • Winifred DuVall and John Weaver
  • In honor of Jessie Dzura and John Wensman
  • Cindy Easton
  • Carol and Lynne Ehlenberger
  • Elvira Elek and Jerry Maples
  • Jeanette and Richard Engelstad
  • Mary Evans
  • Falls Run Family Foundation
  • Sherry Ferguson and Robert Zoellick
  • Michael Turner Field
  • Alison and Craig Fields
  • In honor of Eliana and Matthias Finberg
  • Cynthia Fishman and Michael Silverman
  • Wendy Fitzgerald
  • Mary Catherine Flythe and L. Flythe Criswell
  • Fox/Cotten-Rowland Family
  • Barbara Francis and Robert Musser
  • Karen Frederick and Dave Gilman
  • John Freedman and Cecily Baskir
  • Nancy Frey
  • Raymond K. Fudge
  • Louis Gadrinab and Christina Waugh Gadrinab
  • James Galfund and Diana Shoemaker
  • Bruce Gelber and Nela Villacorta
  • Karen Gerstner Dobbs and Timothy Dobbs
  • Ellen and Alex Gertsen
  • Carol Giffen and Jessica Lachewitz
  • Michael Gilham and Helen Britz
  • Dr. Jennifer Gonzales
  • Marie Gordon
  • Jessica Gould Dabrowski and Ronald Dabrowski
  • Cory Graves
  • Gerry Gray
  • Lucie C. Greer
  • Katharine and Gregory Gurski
  • Daniel and Amy Guy
  • Sharon S. Hadley
  • Michele Hagans
  • Martha and Geoff Halberstadt
  • Stephanie Hall and Daniel Latt
  • Wayne and Becky Hamilton
  • John Hansan and Ethel Hansen
  • Douglas and Jane Hanscom
  • Erica and Greg Harris
  • Marie and Gerald Hart
  • John A. Hayward
  • Amy and Steven Herrera
  • Catherine Hobek
  • Joanne Hogan
  • Janice Holland
  • Jay and Cheryl Hoofnagle
  • Stephen M. Hrutka
  • Brendan Huff and Kim Richardson
  • Barbara Hughes and Julia Simon
  • Kate and Jeff Hull
  • Dr. Denise Hunnell
  • Barbara and Michael Hynak
  • Deanna Ibarra
  • Donald and Diana Johnson
  • Dr. Eleanor L. Johnson
  • Paul and Margaret Johnson
  • Elliott Jones
  • Walter B. Jones
  • Susan and David Kahn
  • Susie Kane
  • Edward H. Kaplan
  • Linda Kenney Baden
  • David and Helen Kenney
  • Wendell Keyes
  • Diana King and Larry West
  • Jessica Kirk
  • Stefanie Klodt
  • Erik Kowalski
  • Andrew Kuchling and Barbara Mattson
  • Jon Langhorst and Catherine Creese
  • Anna M. Lenz
  • Dr. Richard A. Levinson
  • James and Sharon Lieberman
  • Meghna and Scott Lipcon
  • Laura Liswood
  • Claire and Andrew Loerch
  • Marc Loev
  • Eric Lofgren
  • Sally Louie
  • Dr. Thomas Lovejoy III
  • Christina Lucchesi Leon
  • Leslie MacCallum
  • Anthony Macintyre and Leslie Crutchfield
  • Laurel Macondray and Garfield Lamont
  • Kristin Majeska
  • Cheryl Manning and Vivienne Swinson
  • Chloe and Andrew Mara
  • John and Adrienne Mars
  • John and Elizabeth Marshall
  • Shirley Marshall
  • Jim and Betty Mast
  • Chosun and Louis Mastriani
  • Linda Mayer
  • Renee Mazaheri and Paul Westmeyer
  • Cynthia and Scott McCabe
  • William and Mary McCaughey
  • Pete and Tammy McCutchen
  • Debra and Herbert McDonald
  • Stacey McGraw and John Griffiths
  • CPT Frances Carroll McKown
  • Dominique McLerran-Feldesman and G. Feldesman
  • Alison McNally and Bobby German
  • Kathleen McRoberts
  • John and Cynthia Mead
  • Jane and Robert Meade
  • Philip A. Melvin
  • Margaret Miles
  • Joanna A. Miller
  • Kristie Miller and Ellen Twaddell
  • Lee J. Miller
  • Kimberly and Nicholas Minarik
  • Janette Moch and Timothy Smeltzer
  • Michael and Karen Molloy
  • Harriet Morgan and John Wahl
  • JoAnn and Sara Mueller
  • Anna Mulvihill
  • Mary Murphy
  • Mary Nace and David Levy
  • Charlotte Naschinski
  • Bethany and Paul Nguyen
  • Clyde E. Nishimura
  • Judith A. Nitsche
  • Karen Norberg
  • Virginia Nuessle
  • Chris O'Brien and David Farb
  • Mary and William O'Brien
  • Kathryn O'Keeffe
  • Benjamin and Kelly Opipari
  • Patricia and James Orlando
  • Karen E. Paquin
  • Elizabeth Parish and Daniel Van Horn
  • Molly Parker
  • Molly Parker and William Eischens
  • Susan Partyka and Chris Harvey
  • Aristides Patrinos and Kathryn Hoff-Patrinos
  • Roy and Michele Peck
  • Laura Peebles and Ellen Fingerman
  • Burnett and Jeanne Peters
  • Nicole Petrosky
  • Rebekah Phillips DeZalia
  • Joann and Richard Ratia
  • Kathy Reynolds
  • Heather Rietz
  • Andrea Risotto
  • Susan H. Robeson
  • Rex Robison and Helen Fox
  • Megan Rolenc and Chris Bruning
  • Elizabeth and Shaun Rooney
  • Paul Rumery
  • Louisa Ryan and Jeffrey Salomon
  • Charles and Jean Samuels
  • Brian Sands and Leslie Oakey
  • Karin Sandoval
  • Megan Scanlin and Geoffrey Christoph
  • Ruthellen Schloss
  • Stephen F. Sewell
  • James and Janet Shafer
  • Barbara Sherrill
  • Mordechai Shinefield
  • In honor of Arlo and Jude Siegel
  • Radhika Singh
  • Lawrence and Martha Skelly
  • Susanna and Helen Skovgaard
  • Linda and Clarke Slaymaker
  • Albert and Shirley Small
  • Aaron Smith and Jenna Randall-Smith
  • Melissa and Richard Smith
  • Robert Sorey and Taylor Mayo
  • Allison and Lawrence Spaccasi
  • Timothy and Ann Stahmer
  • Dwane Starlin and Marilyn Bennett
  • Brian Stein and Janis Millete
  • Steve Stone and Julie Banzhaf Stone
  • Jonathan Straight
  • Joyce A Tatanus
  • Cris Thomas
  • Jeanette Thornton
  • Margaret Truman and Neal Howlett
  • Eve-Lyn and Brian Turmail
  • Allison and Daniel Turner
  • James Uhing and Ayse Gider-Uhing
  • Patricia Van Blarcom
  • Cheryl and Michael Viani
  • Kristin and Greg Vidovich
  • Sheryl and Theodore Von Sydow
  • Elizabeth Wade
  • David Webber and Joelle Faucher
  • Marilyn Weeks
  • Linda and Autumn Weigel
  • Pat and Justin Weiler
  • Jennifer Wells
  • In honor of Heath Wenchel
  • Lois Wesly and Anne Dougherty
  • Angela Wessel
  • Todd West and Mary Stacey Bach
  • Carol Wheeler
  • Melissa White
  • Ann L. Wild
  • Leslie Wilkes
  • Kevin and Diane Wilshere
  • Kurt Wollenberg and Antonia Gallo
  • Rachel Wood
  • Terri Woodin
  • Jessica A. Zaluzec
  • Karl Zeswitz

Again, thank you for your generous support. Donors will receive special recognition for contributions outlined below. The Smithsonian's National Zoo will contact you regarding tours and the reception upon the exhibit's completion. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

$100 | Recognition on a Zoo webpage
$250 | An invitation to the exhibit pre-opening reception
$500 | Name recognition at the exhibit pre-opening reception
$1,000 | A special behind-the-scenes tour of the Small Mammal House
$2,500 | Name recognition on the annual Visitor Center lobby donor wall