Naked mole rats (Heterocephalus glaber) are known to have strange mammalian superpowers because they can resist cancer, defy the aging process, can still live without breathing oxygen for 20 minutes, and can tolerate high levels of pain.
But unknown to many, this super mammal has a secret that makes them a villain rather than a hero, according to a report by LiveScience. It turns out, naked mole rats kidnap the babies of other naked mole rats and turn them into slaves.
Naked Mole Rats Living Like Insects
Naked mole rats are small creatures measuring only up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) but have massive colonies made up of 300 members that cooperate well with each other. Their colonies are the largest among mammals, and most of them are sterile, like the ants and bee colonies.
Furthermore, naked mole rats are doing their best to live like insects. Only one of them gets to reproduce and claims the throne as the queen through a brutal battle of dominance. The queen naked mole rat can give birth up to 30 pups per litter.
Then, it is up to the female mole rats to care for the babies by feeding them hormone-contaminated feces, according to Eminetra.
Initially, scientists thought that the staggering number of naked mole rats in their colony might be caused by inbreeding. But the results of previous studies show that this is unlikely. New research has revealed the secret of the colonies of the naked mole rats.
Naked Mole Mats Kidnap Each Other's Babies
Almost 30 years ago, researchers observed naked mole rats in a field study in Kenya and found that there are burrows connected to 23 colonies. Also, missing individuals from the 13 invaded colonies were never seen again.
However, the researchers found two pups on an invading colony that looked like it came from the invaded colony after a year when they checked the colonies. At that time, they were not sure if it was only a mistake or not, said evolutionary biologist Stan Braude from Washington University.
In their paper, the researchers wrote that those kidnapped naked mole rats became non-reproductive workers, which make their life effort categorized as slavery, like those in ants.
Pup snatching has been observed in unnatural conditions outside the laboratory settings, but it is the first time this behavior is confirmed.
Other animals also kidnap other's babies, such as the primate species. But it is most commonly seen in slave-making ants like the Formica sanguine. They hijack larvae and pupae of other species to raise as part of their workforce like slaves.
This phenomenon is called convergent evolution, in which evolutionary pressure creates similar physical features and behaviors in entirely non-related species.
Naked mole rats kidnapping others' babies would undoubtedly help their colonies find scarce resources in their harsh environment. They would help construct elaborate underground homes using their jaw muscles and teeth useful in excavation and prevent them from swallowing dirt.
