The mole rat, also known as the naked mole rat, is a rodent that lives in East Africa. It’s called the naked mole rat because it doesn’t have any fur.

What makes it special is that adult mole rats don’t feel pain and are immune to cancer. They also live very long lives, with the oldest one recorded living up to 32 years.

One surprising fact is that mole rats can survive without oxygen for 18 minutes, while most other rodents would die in just 20 seconds. Scientists from the journal Science found that when oxygen levels are low, mole rats switch their energy source from glucose to fructose. They use fructose to keep vital organs like the heart and brain working when oxygen is not available.

In an experiment, mole rats were placed in a room with only five percent oxygen, and they acted completely normal, even after hours. When placed in a room with no oxygen at all, they entered a coma-like state but survived for 18 minutes. Once oxygen was restored, they woke up without any damage to their bodies.

This amazing ability comes from their underground lifestyle. Mole rats live in large groups of up to 200 members, where the air has very little oxygen and more carbon dioxide. Because of this, they’ve adapted to survive in harsh conditions underground. #molerats #facts