Lives of a Mole Rat Additional Information

Published by Lerner Publications, 1996.

The naked mole rat is a mystery to scientists because it’s very unlike other mammals. Like reptiles, this nearly hairless, burrowing rodent has a variable body temperature. Like social insects, mole rats live in colonies. This book presents the natural history of this puzzling animal, emphasizing the methods scientists use to learn more about it.

Published by Carolrhoda Books, 1996.

This book, for children ages 4 to 8, describes the mole rat, a strange-looking rodent that lives a social life in a system of tunnels in the soils of East Africa. The text is accompanied by many color photos of a naked mole rat colony.

Published by Holiday House, 2005.

This fictional story is about a zookeeper who takes care of mole rats in a Washington D.C., zoo, and Frankie, the 12-year-old daughter of the man with whom the zookeeper has a long-distance relationship. When the romance begins, Frankie feels as if her heart has been stomped on. She sends fake e-mails to the zookeeper in an attempt to sabotage the relationship. She breaks down at school, snaps at her little brothers, and begins hanging around with a known troublemaker. But when the zookeeper responds with wise and witty letters about mole rats—how they protect territory, shun outsiders, and rebuild their underground homes, Frankie is drawn into a revealing correspondence that touches on family, friendship, and growing up.