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Managed Care of Naked Mole-Rats

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The Extraordinary Biology of the Naked Mole-Rat

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1319))

Abstract

Naked mole-rats are a burgeoning model species in the field of biomedical research and are also housed at many zoos throughout the world. These mammals possess many traits that have a large impact on the way that they are kept in captivity such as their eusociality, thermolability and lack of need for drinking water. This chapter outlines the captive care and unusual housing needs of these animals. Providing information and examples from our own experiences while working with naked mole-rats for many decades. While this chapter serves as a good framework for the captive care of this mammal species, it is in no way all-encompassing but simply reflects the way in which we have managed over many years to successfully sustain our colony of thousands of animals.

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Photo Credit: Rochelle Buffenstein

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA, USA

    Megan Smith & Rochelle Buffenstein

  2. Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Rochelle Buffenstein

Authors
  1. Megan Smith
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  2. Rochelle Buffenstein
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, CA, USA

    Rochelle Buffenstein

  2. Laboratory of Integrative NeuroscienceDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Thomas J. Park

  3. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada

    Melissa M. Holmes

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Smith, M., Buffenstein, R. (2021). Managed Care of Naked Mole-Rats. In: Buffenstein, R., Park, T.J., Holmes, M.M. (eds) The Extraordinary Biology of the Naked Mole-Rat. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1319. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65943-1_16

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