Naked mole rats have hair on tails and feet

This colony of naked mole rats arrived at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia in November 2007. They came from Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I.

Male or female? The colony has three males, eight females and one juvenile whose sex has yet to be determined.

Range: Parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia.

Habitat: Prefer to live in arid savanna and grassland biomes near the equator.

Status: A limited geographic range, but are very numerous in the areas they can survive in.

Diet in wild: They eat the underground parts of plants, particularly the tubers. They get the water they need from their food and therefore do not drink.

Diet in zoo: Mainly sweet potatoes, but also fruits, carrots, peas and greens.

Daily routine? Mole rats are community diggers and have razor-sharp front incisors used to dig. Naked mole rats typically live in underground burrows and dig tunnels in search of food and to avoid predators, like snakes. They make chambers for separate purposes, such as feeding, nesting and sleeping.

Litter size: Only one female in the colony, the queen, will give birth. She can breed throughout the year, with a gestation period of about 70 days. The average litter size is about 12 offspring, but the record is 27.

Web site: www.riverbanks.org.