The Naked Mole-Rat Mystery: Scientific Sleuths at Work (Discovery Series)

Jarrow, Gail; Sherman, Paul W.; Mendez, Raymond A.

ISBN 10: 0822528533 ISBN 13: 9780822528531

Publisher: Lerner Pub Group, 1996

Synopsis

Describes this strange-looking rodent which lives a social life in a system of tunnels under the hard soil of East Africa

About this title

From Booklist:

Gr. 6^-8. The naked mole-rat is a mystery to scientists because of its divergence from mammalian norms. This hairless, burrowing rodent has a variable body temperature like a reptile and lives in colonies organized like those of social insects. This book presents the natural history of the puzzling animal in exhaustive detail, emphasizing the methods scientists used to discover the truth about it. In general, the text is clear, well organized, and understandable. However, when explaining the mole-rat's more baffling characteristics, the book itself is sometimes confusing. In discussing the animal's body temperature, the text states, "The mole-rat is poikilothermic instead of homeothermic," while a sidebar reads, "It can be homeothermic, poikilothermic, ectothermic, and endothermic." Some other sidebars are overly subtle or complicated for the intended audience. Although not a choice for general reading, this book will be useful to students doing research. Leone McDermott

From School Library Journal:

Grade 6-9?A fascinating study of one of nature's most bizarre (and ugliest) creatures. The authors have done an excellent job of explaining why the naked mole-rat is such an anomaly among mammals. These animals live in colonies with a queen, their body temperature changes with the temperature of their environment, and they live their lives entirely underground. Written in a breezy, entertaining style, this is nonetheless a serious in-depth narrative of the research done on this African rodent's social structure, behavior, and anatomy. Good-quality full-color photographs and charts round out this outstanding presentation. Although information can be found in other sources about the naked mole-rat, this title is much more thorough and provides a wonderful look at how scientific research is done.?Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukee, OR
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lerner Pub Group
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0822528533
• ISBN 13: 9780822528531
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 112