Naked Mole-rat Cam

They’re nearly blind and hairless. They’re smaller than a dollar bill. They live underground. They’re… naked mole-rats!

They might lack the adorableness of pandas, but naked mole-rats are some of the Smithsonian National Zoo’s most fascinating animals. Native to the dry grasslands of East Africa, these rodents spend their entire lives tunneling through the soil in almost complete darkness. They’re also the only mammal species that’s truly eusocial — living in large colonies centered around a single breeding female, or queen. 

Staff at the Zoo’s Small Mammal House provide daily care tailored to the unique needs of these bizarre creatures. The mole-rat habitat, designed to simulate the warm and humid conditions of an underground burrow, features 16 chambers and nearly 25 feet of winding tunnels to patrol. Keepers provide fruits and vegetables that match the nutritional needs that the mole-rats’ wild counterparts would get by foraging for roots and tubers.

As you watch the Naked Mole-Rat Cam, look for the colony hard at work — cleaning, grooming, and helping their queen keep her tunnels running smoothly.

See if you can catch a glimpse of the Zoo’s mole-rats as they eat, sleep and explore their habitat.  Keep an eye out for the following behaviors:

• Eating – Mole-rats can move each of their lower front teeth (incisors) independently, almost like using chopsticks. And yes, sometimes they eat their own poop... which is a normal way for mole-rats to get extra nutrients.
• Running – Mole-rats often have sudden bursts of energy. You might see one run through a tunnel backward, or climb over a neighbor to reach the next chamber.
• Moving things around – In a mole-rat colony, tunnels act like highways that help the animals move between chambers. They keep these pathways free from clutter, so they’ll often rearrange things to keep traffic flowing.
• Sleeping – Because they naturally live in almost complete darkness, mole-rats don’t have sleep patterns tied to a day/night cycle. They sleep for short periods, huddling together for warmth and comfort, sometimes belly-up.

Looking for even more fun? Download the Animal Cam Bingo Cards and see how many naked mole-rat behaviors you can spot. These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal life underground.