Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Only one female breeds while her offspring dig and defend the tunnels. The figure is taken from Smithsonian, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a animals fact?

Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Naked mole rats live under a single breeding queen

Only one female breeds while her offspring dig and defend the tunnels Colonies behave like those of termites, with non-breeding workers and soldiers. The animals have unusually low cancer rates and tolerate very low oxygen. Their teeth move independently of their jaws for digging. It sits in Mondo's animals collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Smithsonian

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Nature & Animals trivia

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Tags: rodents, eusocial, biology

Naked mole rats live under a single breeding queen: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Only one female breeds while her offspring dig and defend the tunnels. The figure is taken from Smithsonian, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a animals fact?: Yes. It sits on the Animals shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.