Naked mole rats have extraordinary biology including eusociality, cancer resistance, and extreme longevity. Understanding their welfare needs in research and captive settings is important.
Naked mole rat welfare in research settings requires meeting their unusual social and environmental needs. As eusocial animals, they must be kept in appropriate colony sizes — isolated individuals or very small groups experience stress. Their need for warm, dark, tunnel-like environments must be provided in laboratory settings. Research interest in their remarkable biology — cancer resistance, extreme longevity — has increased their use in biomedical research. The 3Rs framework applies: replacing where possible, minimizing numbers used, and refining housing to meet their complex social and environmental needs. Colony-level welfare management is essential for this species.