Naked Mole Rat

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber), also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa. It is the sole species in the genus Heterocephalus of the family Heterocephalidae and is closely linked to blesmols. The naked mole-rat, along with the closely related Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis), has a very unusual set of physical and behavioral characteristics that enable it to survive in a harsh underground environment. Most notably, it is the only mammalian thermoconformer with an almost entirely ectothermic (cold-blooded) form of body temperature regulation and exhibits a complex social structure divided into reproductive and non-reproductive castes

The epidermis of the naked mole-rat lacks pain sensitivity, and its metabolic and respiratory rates are extremely low. Formerly believed to be a member of the Bathyergidae family, which also includes other African mole-rats, more recent research has identified it as a member of the Heterocephalidae. The lifespan, resilience to cancer, and tolerance to oxygen deprivation of the naked mole-rat are also noteworthy traits.