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The National Zoo's Naked Mole-Rats Still Have Not Chosen Their Queen
David Fahrenthold Retweeted:This is the most competitive midterm race you've never heard of: The National Zoo's Naked Mole Rats Still Have Not Chosen Their Queen
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The National Zoo's Naked Mole-Rats Still Have Not Chosen Their Queen
BY NATALIE DELGADILLO IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ON OCT 26, 2018 3:58 PM
(Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian)
All hail the Queen! Whenever she arrives, anyway. ... In case you missed it, the Smithsonian National Zoo is home to a naked mole-rat colony, and every day a drama continues to unfold: the colony is in the process of choosing its queen.
"There's one frontrunner, a female who is larger than all of the other mole-rats right now," says Devin Murphy, a spokesperson for the National Zoo and my go-to gal for naked mole-rat gossip. "We won't know for sure until [one of the mole-rats] has babies. That's the only way to tell," she says.
Naked mole-rats are one of only two eusocial mammalian species. That means that they behave much like bees and other insects—only one female mole-rat reproduces, and all the other mole-rats hover around her, taking care of her babies, protecting her from danger, and eating her poop. She reigns supreme.
So far, the Smithsonian mole-rats appear to be more or less taking orders from the biggest female without a lot of objection, Murphy says. But it's impossible to know what's in their little hearts—there could be a mutiny any day now.
....
... Check back for updates on her coronation.
Contact the author of this article or email [email protected] with further questions, comments or tips.
BY NATALIE DELGADILLO IN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ON OCT 26, 2018 3:58 PM
(Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian)
All hail the Queen! Whenever she arrives, anyway. ... In case you missed it, the Smithsonian National Zoo is home to a naked mole-rat colony, and every day a drama continues to unfold: the colony is in the process of choosing its queen.
"There's one frontrunner, a female who is larger than all of the other mole-rats right now," says Devin Murphy, a spokesperson for the National Zoo and my go-to gal for naked mole-rat gossip. "We won't know for sure until [one of the mole-rats] has babies. That's the only way to tell," she says.
"Is there a way we can keep in touch? I would love to be kept abreast of the naked mole rat dramas" is something @ndelgadillo07 just said during a phone interview
Link to tweet
Naked mole-rats are one of only two eusocial mammalian species. That means that they behave much like bees and other insects—only one female mole-rat reproduces, and all the other mole-rats hover around her, taking care of her babies, protecting her from danger, and eating her poop. She reigns supreme.
So far, the Smithsonian mole-rats appear to be more or less taking orders from the biggest female without a lot of objection, Murphy says. But it's impossible to know what's in their little hearts—there could be a mutiny any day now.
....
... Check back for updates on her coronation.
Contact the author of this article or email [email protected] with further questions, comments or tips.
Naked mole-rat
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