Visitors to Pacific Science Center’s naked mole rat colony and viewers of the
naked mole rat cam often hear a persistent clicking sound. Listen:
http://pacificsciencecenter.org/audio/2014-05-01-mole-rats-chewing.mp3
We’re often asked, “What’s that sound?”
That is the sound of naked mole rats gnawing on the plastic tubes that connect their chambers. Animal caretakers find evidence of the gnawing when the mole rat habitat is cleaned and when chambers and tubes are exchanged.
Because naked mole rat incisors - their four front teeth - grow continuously, they must be frequently filed down with something hard. The tube ends are handy and they seem to be as popular as the concrete blocks that we provide. Some afternoons the chorus of gnawing, clicking, and snapping sounds deafening!
Watch this chewing activity in person or on camera. Careful listeners may even hear high-pitched squeaks and chirps as well. Those sounds are naked mole rat vocalizations! Translation anyone?
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