Can You Eat Mole Rats?
WouterWhile mole rats are mammals, they are actually more closely related to reptiles, plants, and insects. They live in colonies with a single queen that can have up to two hundred and ninety other members. However, the average colony contains only around 70 individuals. Female mole rats compete for the role of queen by growing larger and increasing the distance between their spine vertebrae.
While mole rats can be eaten, they’re not a food for the average person. The naked mole rat’s sperm contain abnormalities that hinder fertilization. Its sperm look like odd bulbs, and it is difficult for the male mole rat to fertilize an egg. In addition, the sperm do not have mitochondrial rings, which are normally circled around the tail of a sperm.
Mole rats live in a nesting and toilet chamber. They don’t have access to the outside world, so their oxygen levels can get low. Although they have a low metabolism, they are efficient oxygen carriers thanks to their efficient hemoglobin. They can survive for long periods of time without water, and the rat’s digestive system allows it to digest plants.
Mole rats don’t need stomach enzymes, so the poop is essential in helping them digest their food. Since they lack powerful stomach enzymes, eating poop helps them break down tough roots and tubers. Mole rats are an interesting study subject, and scientists hope to gain some insight from them.
