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Not all naked mole-rat queens go out in a blaze of bloody violence

Popular Science·Laura Baisas·about 1 month ago
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Naked mole-rats are among the only eusocial mammals. R. Andrew Odum via Getty Images Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Queen bees may get most of the glory, but there is another queen of the animal kingdom who is the linchpin of her entire society. Queen naked mole-rats ( Heterocephalus glaber ) reign over their underground kingdoms as the bearer of all children, while other rats build and maintain a complex system to tunnels, find food, and take care of the queen’s babies.  When a queen’s fertility declines or disappears, the colony fights a bloody succession battle . However, that violent fight for domination does not always occur. Peaceful succession between reigning queens and subordinate females is possible within an established naked mole-rat colony during times of stress.…

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