Details
Heterocephalus glaber
A highly social subterranean rodent of dry East Africa, recognizable by its nearly hairless body and large incisors.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Builds tunnel systems under dry grassland and semi-desert where soils can be dug and tubers or roots are available.
Skin is pale pink with little hair and tiny eyes. Large incisors sit outside the lips and are used as digging tools.
Colonies center on a queen, with breeding and worker roles. In dark tunnels, animals rely heavily on touch and smell.
Underground tubers, roots, and bulbs are eaten. Large tubers may be partly eaten and left to regrow.
Usually only the queen breeds, while workers expand tunnels and help care for young. Its colony structure is close to eusocial for a mammal.
Globally low-risk; it is also important in research on low-oxygen tolerance, longevity, and cancer resistance.
