Naked Mole-Rats Make Debut at Little Rock Zoo Earth Day Celebration

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. (April 15, 2005) – The Little Rock Zoo's 23 newest animals, a colony of naked mole-rats, will be on display for the first time at the Earth Day Celebration from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 22 and 23. A donation from the Mill Mountain Zoo in Roanoke, Virginia, has made the Little Rock Zoo's own naked mole-rat exhibit a reality.

As a part of the opening of this permanent exhibit, the Zoo is holding a "Naked Mole Rap" contest in conjunction with Radio Disney to choose a winner and four runners up. Would-be rappers from throughout Central Arkansas will compete for fun and prizes from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 23. (Click for "Naked Mole Rap" lyrics)

Naked mole-rats are hairless African rodents found in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. They are about 3-4 inches long and weigh 1 to 2.5 ounces. With a life span of up to 20 years, they are the only mammals to live in insect-like colonies of 20-300 with a caste system and a queen breeding female. There are workers, soldiers and breeding males like ants or bees. But being much larger, they are even more fun to observe.

They are exciting to watch in their forward and backward-scooting motions along the tunnels of the exhibit. Because there is no fat under their skin, naked mole rats' skin is wrinkled. It can be pink, gray or white/yellow. Naked mole-rats eat roots and tubers in the wild, but in a zoo, they are fed fruit and vegetables. They have no sweat glands and their eyes and ears are tiny. Like all rodents, their two front teeth continue to grow throughout their lives and are used to dig tunnels.

The new naked mole-rat exhibit is just one of the ways to have fun at the Earth Day Celebrations. Creature Features, Bird of Prey Shows, Biofacts and Magic presentations will take place at the Civitan Amphitheater Stage on Saturday. On Saturday the 8th Annual Zoo Photo Contest entries will be displayed at the Civitan Pavilion. This contest is sponsored by Arkansas Outdoor Photographers Club and Bedford Cameras. Also on Saturday, the Mid-South Regional Chili Cook-off with over 40 chili teams cooking will be held at the Zoo., with judging beginning at 1 p.m.

Conservation educational booths including Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Arkansas Forestry Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish, Arkansas Geology Commission, Pulaski County Humane Society, Little Rock Solid Waste, Riddles Elephant Sanctuary, Sierra Club, Partners for Pinnacle, Toltec State Park, American Association of Zoo Keepers, Little Rock Zoo Explorer Post and Docents will be located throughout the Zoo during Earth Day.

Family fun in a healthy, outdoor environment, plus lots of educational activities make the Little Rock Zoo one of Arkansas' largest attractions. The Little Rock Zoo at #1 Jonesboro Drive is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission is free for infants, $4 for children 1-12 and $6 for adults 13+. Visit www.littlerockzoo.com for more information about the Little Rock Zoo.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With is more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information, visit www.aza.org.