A Peaceful Power Shift in the Naked Mole Rat Colony

A colony of naked mole rats at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego underwent a peaceful transition of reproductive queens in 2025. This event, documented by researchers and published in the journal Science Advances on April 15, challenges long-held assumptions about how these unique rodents vie for power.

The original queen, Teré, stopped reproducing after a colony move in 2022. One of her daughters, Arwen, began reproducing and became the colony's sole birthing queen without observed aggression.

Background: A History of Conflict

Naked mole rats are subterranean mammals native to East Africa. They are unusual among rodents for their longevity, with lifespans exceeding thirty years, and they exhibit eusocial colony structures typically featuring a single reproductive queen and non-reproductive workers.

Laboratory and zoo observations since the 1960s typically show new queens emerging through aggressive conflict within colonies. The Salk colony, established in 2019 and named "Amigos," began with Queen Teré arriving with a male consort and initial offspring, establishing a colony hierarchy.

Colony Developments Leading to Change

The colony grew to 39 individuals, after which newborn mortality increased, possibly due to overcrowding. In 2021, researchers created a separate "Amici" colony with 20 individuals to reduce density.

A laboratory construction project in 2022 required moving the colony to a different facility. Following the move, Queen Teré ceased reproductive activity for approximately one year.

During this period, two of Teré's daughters began growing larger and reproducing. One died from internal injuries; the other, Arwen, became the sole birthing queen.

Unexpected Observations and Wider Context

Researcher Shanes Abeywardena stated the peaceful transition was unexpected based on prior scientific literature. Teré continued protective and guarding behaviors toward the colony, including Arwen, after ceasing reproduction. At approximately seven years old, Teré remains the largest individual in the colony.

Concurrently, a naked mole rat colony at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., experienced prolonged aggressive conflict over queen succession for over two years, according to curator Kenton Kerns.

Kerns noted that an older, previous colony at the zoo had multiple queens breeding simultaneously without conflict, suggesting behavioral variety exists. He stated that human understanding of naked mole rat behavior evolves and early assumptions may have been based on limited observations.

Biological Notes

• Naked mole rats are mostly hairless and lack the ability to thermoregulate.
• They show notable resistance to certain diseases like cancer.
• Their social structure is a key area of study for understanding eusociality in mammals.