(Heterocephalus glaber)
aka the sand puppy
The Naked Mole Rat is a nearly blind, hairless rodent from southern Ethiopia. He lacks pain sensitivity in his skin, and has very low metabolic and respiratory rates. The mole rat is also remarkable for its longevity and its resistance to cancer.
The naked mole-rats feels no pain and is extraordinarily long-lived for a rodent at 31 years.
The naked mole-rat is the first mammal discovered to exhibit eusociality. This eusocial structure is similar to that found in ants, termites, and some bees and wasps. Only one female (the queen) and one to three males reproduce, while the rest of the members of the colony function as workers. When the queen dies, another female takes her place, sometimes after a violent struggle with her competitors. Once established, the new queen's body expands the space between the vertebrae in her backbone to become longer and ready to bear pups.