Larger and furrier than their more famous cousins the naked mole-rats, Damaraland mole rats also live in social, subterranean colonies. These omnivores range from western Zambia to northwestern South Africa.
They push ground from the main tunnel with the hind feet and tail up a side tunnel
A response from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute regarding the hours of the bike path on its property.
prefer the path through the Zoo over the alternate route through the Beach Drive Tunnel
Hana and the cub continue to do well! Keepers are seeing the cub sit up more but it still hasn’t tried to climb onto Hana’s back. Hana leaves the den more frequently and eats small snacks on a daily basis, but she still spends the majority of her time in the den with the cub.
We occasionally see Hana sitting next to the cub or going into the tunnel connecting
Naked mole-rats are pink, nearly hairless subterranean rodents that live in burrows in eastern Africa. These surprisingly long-lived animals are one of the only true eusocial mammals; they live in large colonies in which only one female breeds and the majority of individuals spend their lives working for the colony.
branching and interconnection of tunnels, with the result that a colony’s total tunnel
If you think a blind, nearly hairless rodent that lives underground can’t get much stranger, then buckle up. There’s a lot more to these weird (and wonderful) rodents than meets the eye!
If a predator tries to enter a tunnel, “soldier” mole-rats pile up to block the entrance
These small, social rodents are native to the slopes of the Andes, where they form groups of up to ten.
They build extensive underground tunnel systems.
Spiny-tailed monitors are small lizards found in Northern Australia. Their appearance is often likened to that of a miniature Komodo dragon.
After breeding, females dig or tunnel into the soil and lay a clutch of five to 15
The black-footed ferret is a unique and highly endangered grassland species. Once thought to be extinct, less than 300 individuals are estimated to live in the wild today. Reintroduction efforts have established small, scattered populations in locations throughout western North America.
to uncover how these animals use space and time in these underground networks of tunnel
The endangered Malagasy giant jumping rat is a large cousin of the rat family native only to Madagascar. True to its name, it can leap nearly 40 inches into the air.
These complex tunnel systems extend 17 feet (5 meters) with one to six entry holes
Small Mammal House keepers have confirmed the sexes of our 4-month-old pygmy slow loris babies. It’s a boy…and a girl!
They do still sleep primarily in the long tunnel bed but spend a considerable amount
