What the naked mole rat lacks in looks it more than makes up in longevity. While a bog-standard house mouse might live for about three years, the naked mole rat can reach the grand old age of 30, making it the longest-lived rodent on record.
The naked mole rat has other talents, too. Though its eyes are just a few millimetres in diameter, they have an unusually high proportion of colour-sensitive photoreceptors and a rare blue-sensitive pigment that may help it to see in the dark.
In addition, the levels of carbon dioxide that build up in a mole rat burrow are enough to cause acidic burns – but the animals appear to be oblivious to the pain.
Naked mole rat facts
Scientific name: Heterocephalus glaber
Size: 13cm from nose to tip of tail
Range: East Africa
Habitat: Grasslands
Superpower: Long-lived and oblivious to pain
