#5. Nature's Biggest Liars

Naked mole-rats are neither rats, moles, nor even technically naked! I was shocked to discover this, especially since I grew up watching the early 2000s Disney Channel show Kim Possible, which I considered an excellent source of naked mole-rat knowledge at the time. These pink tricksters do get a nod however for being some of the oddest mammals on our planet.

Did you know that naked mole-rats are the only mammal species to live in a “hive” society? Much like ants or bees, their colonies are structured around a strict hierarchy. From birth, naked mole-rats are assigned roles as workers or soldiers, all under the command of a single, all-powerful queen.

(Ask Ashlee for context)

As the world's only cold-blooded mammal, naked mole-rats have a very slow metabolism, contributing to their amazingly long life spans–up to 30 years in some cases! They can even slow their own heartbeat to conserve oxygen, allowing them to survive completely without it for up to 18 minutes with no ill effects.

But the naked mole-rat’s "I’m just built different" flexes don’t stop there. They have an extraordinary resistance to cancer—in fact, not a single case has ever been documented in a naked mole-rat. And when it comes to pain? They’re practically immune. On top of all that, they don’t even need to drink water! Their digestive systems are so efficient that they’re able to extract all the moisture they need from the roots and tubers that make up their diet.

Now, some may argue that the platypus is the weirdest mammal, and they’re probably right, but not even the platypus has giant chopstick teeth (Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that naked mole-rats can move their two front teeth independently, just like a big pair of chopsticks).

So, the next time you’re backpacking through the arid plains of East Africa, just remember–there are millions of weird little creatures below your feet who can survive without oxygen or water and who are just biding their time until they claim the surface world for THEMSELVES!