"The Salk colony's name was prescient. A few years later, they exhibited a peaceful transition that bucks the conventional wisdom on how naked mole rat colonies change queens which is usually through all-out warfare."
"Unusually for rodents, they can live for more than thirty years, despite having basically no hair or fat and lacking the ability to thermoregulate."
"Naked mole rat colonies are often structured with a single large mating queen and dozens of smaller male and female rats that serve specialized roles such as guarding, gathering food and caregiving."
"Queen Tere established herself as the original queen and matriarch. She arrived with her male consort, whom the researchers dubbed Paquito, and their first litter of four surviving pups."
The Salk Institute's naked mole rat colony, named 'amigos,' demonstrated a peaceful transition of queens, contrary to the expected violent changes. This finding, documented in Science Advances, enhances understanding of their cooperative strategies and longevity. Naked mole rats, native to East Africa, can live over thirty years despite lacking hair and fat. The colony, established in 2019, was led by Queen Tere, who maintained a clear hierarchy and continued to produce offspring, showcasing the unique social structure of these rodents.
Read at www.npr.org
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