Bonus: Their lips close behind their front teeth, which keeps dirt out of their mouths when digging!

5. Colonies have soldiers at their disposal.

If a predator tries to enter a tunnel, “soldier” mole-rats pile up to block the entrance and protect the colony. Snakes are their greatest predators, and they will fight before letting one enter the burrow and eat the queen.

6. They can live into their 30s.

This makes naked mole-rats an anomaly among small rodents, which typically live for just a few years.

7. Mole-rats have 17 different vocalizations.

They communicate with each other using chirps, hisses and other sounds. Because mole-rats are virtually blind, their sense of smell is also very important.

8. A single colony’s tunnels can be 2.5 miles long!