Naked mole rats are extraordinary mammals that live in eusocial colonies, age remarkably slowly, and are used in longevity research. Their welfare in laboratory contexts requires colony-appropriate housing.
Naked mole rat welfare in research is substantially better than most laboratory rodent welfare because their social requirements are generally understood and met. Colony housing that allows tunnel construction, queen-worker social structure, and natural thermoregulatory behaviour provides a reasonable approximation of wild conditions. However, stress from colony disruption - separation of workers, removal of the queen, unnatural groupings - causes measurable welfare harm. The extraordinary longevity of this species means welfare failures in housing or management accumulate over decades rather than months. Their increasing use in longevity research creates demand for welfare standards that reflect their unusual biology.