The Language of Naked Mole-Rats

Communication is a crucial aspect of social life in all social groups. Naked mole rats, which can live to be very old (>30 years), exhibit eusocial behavior in large colonies under the rule of a single female, the queen, and take on individual roles within these colonies. The queen is the only reproductively viable female in the colony. After her offspring are born, other colony members help raise and care for them. All colony members work together to organize the burrow system, share and collect food, and protect the colony. In the wild, a colony can have up to 300 members. Each member is able to communicate within this community to coordinate tasks and ensure the survival of all.

Our scientists have recently shown that naked mole rats can communicate using more than 25 different vocalizations. They are using audio and video recordings of naked mole rats in the most naturalistic cage systems possible to study how they interact and communicate with each other. We are also recording their brains to study how the brain processes communication. This will help us understand how communication is related to social behavior and how it enables these animals to maintain their complex social structure.