Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Heterocephalus

Heterocephalus

9.9
A small African animal like a hairless rat that lives in large underground groups
  • noun
  • /ˌhɛtəroʊˈsɛfələs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Heterocephalus
  • The Heterocephalus species demonstrates fascinating eusocial behavior, living in colonies similar to those of certain insects.

Examples

  • Naked mole rats, part of the genus Heterocephalus, are known for their unique social structure and adaptability to life underground.

  • A good example of the predicted association between high relatedness and high skew comes from the eusocial naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber.

    Academic text (1999)

  • In research, the Heterocephalus family of rodents is often studied for insights into social dynamics and cooperative living.

Synonyms

genus Heterocephalus
vsHeterocephalus
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of rodents that live underground in East Africa and includes the naked mole-rat

focuses on hairless bodies and eusocial behaviour rather than habitat or burrowing

Compounds

genus Heterocephalus
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of rodents that live underground in East Africa and includes the naked mole-rat

Surface Forms

Heterocephalus singular
Heterocephali plural

Etymology

Heterocephalus comes from Greek parts hetero- meaning 'different' and -cephalus from kephale meaning 'head'. It was chosen for the naked mole-rat because its head looks unusual compared with other rodents, so the name literally means 'different head' and helps you remember this nearly hairless, social animal.