It may have missed out on good looks, but the naked mole rat is once again amazing scientists with its fascinating super-powers.

Although it was known that the little subterranean creatures never develop cancer, and live far longer than similar-sized mammals, researchers have now discovered they can also survive for 18 minutes without oxygen.

What is even more astonishing is how they manage it. The mole rats effectively become plants, altering their metabolism so that cells are powered by fructose rather than glucose, a process which requires no oxygen.