High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) also known as the sand puppy or desert mole rat, is a burrowing rodent native to parts of East Africa and the only species currently classified in the genus Heterocephalus. It was once thought to be one of only two eusocial mammals (the other being the Damaraland mole rat) but this classification is controversial owing to disputed definitions of `eusociality` as well as the existence of other mammals that satisfy the original definition of Wilson (1971). It has a highly unusual set of physical traits that enables it to thrive in an otherwise harsh, underground environment, including being the only mammalian thermoconformer, a lack of pain sensation in its skin and a very low metabolism.