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Blind mole rats range from Southeastern Europe to Iran. This species is crucial in medical research aiming to extend human lifespan and enhance cancer resistance.
Our world is teeming with peculiar and fascinating creatures. Occasionally, you might come across or read about a species that leaves you undecided whether it's cute, adorable, or downright terrifying! Blind mole rats fall into that category, capable of putting you in such a dilemma.
Blind mole rats belong to the Spalacidae family and have two different subspecies: the small blind mole rat (Spalax leucodon) and the large blind mole rat. They are predominantly found around the eastern part of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, from the Balkans through Ukraine, the Middle East, Syria, Palestine, and into Egypt and Libya. These burrowing rodents live underground, covered in a thick coat of fur, seemingly lacking ears and eyes, with large incisor teeth protruding outside their mouths.
Where are the eyes of blind mole rats located?
All blind mole rats, as their name suggests, are blind. However, that doesn't mean this creature lacks eyes entirely. In fact, they are not completely blind and possess rather rudimentary eyes, with a diameter of about 1 mm located beneath the skin and fur. But these eyes serve a very different purpose compared to human eyes. The eyes of blind mole rats can only perceive light. Studies have shown that removing their eyes would disrupt their perception of light cycles.
Regulating body temperature, reproduction, and hibernation – all these behaviors are crucial in mammals, requiring them to perceive changes in light cycles. Therefore, the small eyes of blind mole rats serve an important function in helping them understand the surrounding conditions. Their retina, although non-functional, contains photoreceptor cells capable of detecting faint light penetrating through the soil, thus functioning like a light meter.
Blind mole rats are subjects of scientific research due to their cancer-fighting abilities.
Blind mole rats do not succumb to cancer because their cells can terminate their life cycle through a toxic protein when they proliferate rapidly. They can live up to 20 years, which is at least 10 times longer than a similarly sized mouse. Their cancer resistance may partially explain this longevity.
In fact, a study also found that all blind mole rats are able to withstand very high doses of chemotherapy with minimal side effects. Scientists hope that if they can further understand how exactly these blind mole rats achieve this resistance, it may lead to the development of a cancer treatment method for humans that exploits positive and beneficial aspects without causing any harm.
Other fascinating facts
1. Blind mole rats do not use their claws to dig burrows
Most burrowing rodent species use their claws to dig underground burrows, but these little fellows don't. All blind mole rats utilize their heads, snouts, and primarily their mouths to create intricate maze-like tunnels underground.
They possess large chisel-like incisors and powerful jaw muscles enabling them to dig through soil blocks weighing ten times their body weight.
2. Blind mole rats can survive in environments with almost zero oxygen levels
Blind mole rats can thrive in extremely low oxygen conditions. They can survive up to five hours at oxygen levels as low as 3%. According to research, they can also endure in atmospheres with 80% CO2.
It has been observed that when oxygen levels drop very low, blind mole rats enter a hypometabolic state akin to a trance, and their heart rate drops significantly. But when oxygen is restored, they can fully recover and resume activities as if nothing happened.
Researchers studying the naked mole rat species suggest that blind mole rats survive without oxygen by transforming themselves into plants – not literally, of course. Other mammals, including us, break down glucose to generate energy, a process that requires oxygen, and if there's no oxygen, brain cells will start to die! But blind mole rats have high levels of fructose and sucrose in their bodies, as well as GLUT5, a molecule capable of transporting fructose into their cells. Thus, they utilize fructose as energy instead of breaking down glucose.
3. Israeli archaeologists believe blind mole rats could become invaluable assistants in excavation.
Israeli archaeologists suggest that blind mole rats could be capable members of a team to aid them in excavating historical sites. It may sound like a humorous proposition, but in reality, these animals are skilled diggers and can excavate soil blocks nearly ten times their weight.
If trained, they could assist archaeologists in digging up historical artifacts from underground. Additionally, by systematically studying dirt samples from blind mole rats, archaeologists can gain a fairly accurate idea of areas they should focus on when conducting excavations.
Honestly speaking, blind mole rats are peculiar, unique creatures that continue to pique the curiosity of scientists regarding their biological traits.
