Rats rummage in filth and carry disease, but it’s the sight of their snake-like naked tails which sends shivers up the spine. The naked mole rat, also known as the ‘sand puppy’, lives in Sub-Saharan Africa. At low temperatures, mole rats huddle together for warmth. Nor is longevity the mole rat’s only extraordinary accomplishment: it has developed immunity to cancer and, apparently, it’s also free from pain. The mole rat, somehow, has managed to evolve a version of the protein which turns that around and does the opposite.
