Leveled Reading Research Activities Presentation Leveled Reading

Leveled Reading Research Activities Presentation

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C C C C C N S C I E ● ● ● Diet Underground hormones withtheirqueen. share to behavior social their of apart be to speculated is this although feces their eat sometimes to known been have They it so tuber the of regenerates. inside the not but outside, the eat only They years. even or months for colony a last can tuber One that theyfinddeepunderground. tubers large on feeds rat mole naked The Naked Mole Rat Editable PresentationhostedonGoogleSlides.ClicktoDownload. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Description Predators, Threats&Status Unique Characteristics n hv a strong a have population. endangered and not are They boa prey onnakedmolerats. sand Kenyan snake the and beaked Rufous The are highlyresistanttocancer. they that indicates Research high resistancetotumors. their to due on experimented been have rats mole Naked low very a has also metabolic rateduetosmalllungs. rat mole The harsh the They lackanypainsensitivityintheirskin. in well do to underground environment. it enable traits physical of set unusual extremely Its blind hairless, are rats members oftherodentfamily. mole Naked ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Habitat &Range Conservation Organizations Reproduction to monitorhowtheyare doing. species other of thousands and rat mole naked the population of changes the research They important in the world. most organizations the conservation of one is (IUCN) Nature of Conservation the for Union International The twelve pups. to three from ranges litter typical a and and days 70 is period gestation The food gathering maintaining theirnest. is focus main their so sterile are workers The year old. one are they once breed to able are males breeding and queen The can build they stretch asfar2-3miles. tunnels The burrows underneath theAfricandeserts. complex in live rats together mole 75-80 of Somalia. Groups and in Kenya found Ethiopia, often most are tropical They the of grasslands ofEastAfrica. parts drier the in lives rat mole naked The Extended Video Did You Know?

● Despite their names, naked mole rats are neither moles or rats (and are not totally hairless). They are more closely related to porcupines and guinea pigs.

● A naked mole-rat can move each of its front teeth separately, like a pair of chopsticks. They also close their lips behind their teeth.

● Soldier naked mole rats defend the colony from both predators and foreign mole rats from other colonies. Worker naked mole rats are spend most of their time digging.

● The naked mole rat’s underground territory can be as large as six “How do Naked Mole Rats choose their queen?” (Washington Post) football fields. Naked Mole Rat - Species Profile -

Description

Naked mole rats are hairless, blind members of the rodent family. Its extremely unusual set of physical traits enable it to do well in the harsh underground environment. They lack any pain sensitivity in their skin. The mole rat also has a very low metabolic rate due to small lungs.

Habitat & Range

The naked mole rat lives in the drier parts of the tropical grasslands of East Africa. They are most often found in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Groups of 75-80 mole rats live together in complex burrows underneath the African deserts. The tunnels they build can stretch as far as 2-3 miles. Unique Characteristics

Naked mole rats have been experimented on due to their high resistance to tumors. Research indicates that they are highly resistant to cancer. Reproduction

The queen and breeding males are able to breed once they are one year old. The workers are sterile so their main focus is gathering food and maintaining their nest. The gestation period is 70 days and a typical litter ranges from three to twelve pups. Diet

The naked mole rat feeds on large tubers that they find deep underground. One tuber can last a colony for months or even years. They only eat the outside, but not the inside of the tuber so it regenerates. They have been known to sometimes eat their feces although this is speculated to be apart of their social behavior to share hormones with their queen.

Predators, Threats & Conservation wild Facts The Rufous beaked snake and the Kenyan sand boa prey on Scientific Heterocephalus naked mole rats. They are not endangered and have a strong Name glaber population. 1 – 2 oz Conservation Organizations Weight Length 3 – 4 in The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) researches the population changes of the naked mole rats and Lifespan Up to 30 years thousands of other species to monitor how they are doing. Closest Other Mole Rats, You can learn more at http://support.iucnredlist.org Relatives Mice & Rats © Clark Creative Education Reflection Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Before you read the article, what did you know about naked mole rats? What new information is most interesting to you?

2. If someone asked you how a naked mole rat is different than other rodents, what would you say? Use information from the text.

Description

Naked mole rats are hairless, blind rodents. The females are often larger than the males. Its unusual body helps it live in an underground habitat. The mole rat does not feel pain in their skin. It breathes slowly because it has small lungs.

Habitat & Range

The naked mole rat lives in Africa. Groups of 75-80 mole rats live together in burrows underground. The tunnels can stretch for miles. Unique Characteristics

Naked mole rats do not often develop cancer tumors. Scientists are studying this species to find a cure for cancer. Reproduction

The queens are pregnant for two months. They may have as many as three to twelve pups in their litters. diet The naked mole rat feeds on plant roots. One root can be so large it can feed a colony for years. They only eat the outside of the root. It grows back quickly.

Predators, Threats & Conservation

Their biggest danger for them is snakes. They are not wild Facts an endangered species. Scientific Heterocephalus Name glaber Conservation Organizations Weight 1 – 2 oz The International Union for the Conservation of Length 3 – 4 in Nature (IUCN) is an important organization. They research naked mole rats and many other species. Lifespan Up to 30 years They want to ensure that they are doing well. You Closest Other Mole Rats, can learn more at http://support.iucnredlist.org Relatives Mice & Rats

1. What is the most interesting thing about naked mole rat? Use information from the text.

2. How is a naked mole rat different than other rodents?