Mole Rats
WouterMole rats live in colonies, where they have a queen and many workers. The queen is responsible for breeding and raising pups, and she has to fight other females for her position as queen. The workers defend the colony by letting an alarm call. Typically, there are about 70 individuals in a colony.
There are several species of mole rats. One group is called a bathyergid mole rat, while the other is known as a root rat. Both are able to reproduce sexually, and the number of breeding pairs is not capped at any given time. There are some differences between the species, though.
Mole rats have long lives. They breed year-round and can produce litters as often as four or five times a year. Unlike other species of rats, they do not die after giving birth, and the queen is the only member of the colony that gives birth. The pups are born blind and weigh less than two grams. They are nursed by another member of the colony. The smaller worker mole rats are the most active in a colony. The larger workers defend the colony.
Although the male mole rat population is relatively small, it has been reported to live in colonies of hundreds of individuals. Researchers studied this species in the lab and discovered that the species is eusocial. They live in colonies of up to 300 members, and have a single breeding queen. In addition, these animals also have two or three sexually active males, akin to a colony of ants.
