She observed that these animals were highly social and appeared to work together to excavate tunnels and find food. Jennifer Jarvis began studying these animals in the late 1960s and was the first person to bring these hairless rodents into the laboratory. Most of those studies focused upon the unusual anatomy of this species and morphological adaptations to life underground. Subsequent collections and descriptions were reported in the 1890s through 1957 and are summarized by Brett (1986). Naked mole rats ( Heterocephalus glaber) were first described by Ruppell in 1842 and for many years his taxonomic description was refuted and they were considered to be either neonates of a much larger species or mammals that had lost their fur as a consequence of disease. The chapter describes the models of experimental research on the naked mole rat such as the model of reproductive suppression, model of somatosensory processing, model of bone elongation, and model of aging. Because naked mole rats are social and have cooperative behaviors, the study of their conduct has more applicability to people. They are typically housed at 28–30☌, and at 50–60% relative humidity. The body is for the most part absent of hairs with the exception of tactile hairs that are regularly arranged throughout the body and which are particularly prominent around the face and to a lesser extent on the tail. The skin is loose, wrinkled, and brownish pink in color. Naked mole rats belong to the order Rodentia in that they have two incisor teeth on the upper and lower arcade that continuously grow. This chapter studies the general physiology, anatomy of organ systems, husbandry, and uses in research of the naked mole rats.

They play a unique mammalian role in behavioral and ecophysiological research of life underground.

Naked mole rats are mouse-sized rodents that have become an important animal model in biomedical research.

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