The world's ugliest mammal?

The Naked Mole Rat is quite possibly the ugliest species of mammal. Look at these pictures!

Baby animals are cute, right? Not all of them, as this baby Naked Mole Rat proves.

This is an adult Naked Mole Rat. Look how long and sharp its teeth are!

                                                    Facts about Naked Mole Rats

• Naked Mole Rats can live an extremely long time, up to 28 years. Most small rodents live less then 5 years.
• Naked Mole Rats live in colonies, much like those of bees. The queen is the only one that breeds. There are also workers and soldiers.
• Naked Mole Rats are apparently immune to cancer.
• A queen gives birth to 3-28 babies, which are known as "pups."
• The tunnel systems made by Naked Mole Rats can stretch up to three miles.
• Naked Mole Rats seem to be unable to feel pain.
• Naked Mole Rats are sometimes called "Sand Puppies."

                                     

This is a Silvery Mole Rat, a furry relative of the Naked Mole Rat.1

Hairless Dogs

There are several breeds of hairless dog. The American Hairless Terrier and the Chinese Crested Hairless are the most common.

If a hairless dog and and a non hairless dog are bred an average of 50% will be hairless. If two hairless dogs are bred an average of 66.6% will be hairless.

In Chinese Crested dogs, the coated dogs are called powder puff.

Often the "hairless" dogs will still have a small amount of fur, especially the Chinese Crested.

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This dog (a Xoloitzcuintle) has some fur on it.

A hairless dog's skin is a lot like human skin. Sunscreen must be applied to a hairless dog's skin before it goes outdoors in hot sun, as they are prone to sunburns.

Sometimes when I'm out walking with my brother, I see an American Hairless Terrier.  I don't particularly like their looks but they are interesting to me.  When my brother saw the Xolo he thought it was so cute!

Hairless Cats

Sphynx Cat

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 The Sphynx  and the Peterbald are the two most common hairless cat breeds. They can often be kept by people with allergies to cats. Other then their inability to tolerate very hot or cold temperatures, these cats are usually healthy. Despite their looks, they are friendly cats and love to be with people.
  The Sphynx breed was created by breeding two mutant, hairless females to Devon Rexs. The Peterbald breed was created by an experiment in which a hairless cat was bred to an Oriental Shorthair.
   Hairless cats must be kept indoors. Owners must be very careful about the temperature in their house.  These cats often wear coats in the winter. Even though they obviously do not need to be brushed, hairless cats need frequent baths, as skin problems occur in these breeds.