Naked Mole Rat

Species: Naked mole rat
Habitat: African underground
DAK Locale: Pangani Forest
Conservation: Least Concern

Underneath the arid grasslands of Eastern Africa lives a very remarkable animal, the naked mole rat. It is incredibly adapted to live in the tunnels they call home. Their eyes are small leaving them virtually blind. Their legs are also small being built to move quickly through tunnels both forward and backward. They have very small lungs and their blood is rich in oxygen which helps them breathe in their limited oxygen homes.

They also do not regulate their body temperatures like other mammals. Their body temperatures are influenced by the environment unlike other "warm blooded" mammals. They will huddle together in tunnels to warm up and if their temperature gets too high, they will retreat to the colder, deeper tunnels.

For its size, the naked mole rat lives an incredibly long time, up to 30 years. They are also apparently virtually immune to cancers.

Perhaps the most unusual characteristic is the social structure which resembles those of ants and termites. There is a queen as well as one to three breeding males in every group. There are workers, who are sterile. When the queen dies, a worker female becomes sexually active. All naked mole rats are involved with the care of the young born to the queen.

Spider Tortoise

Species: Spider Tortoise
Habitat: Coast of Madagascar
DAK Locale: Pangani Forest
Conservation: Critically Endangered 

We have mentioned on the show how bad things are in Madagascar as a whole. Well over 90% of the land animals (such as reptiles) are endemic to the island. That is, they are found nowhere else in the world. When that fact is combined with the fact that the island nation is one of the 10 poorest nations in the world and habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate, things are critical for many of the species such as this small tortoise.

The animal is named after the spider web like pattern on the male's shell. In fact, it has become a popular victim of the illegal pet trade as many are captured and sold as such. It is critically endangered.

In the wild, it lives in the sandy coastal areas of Madagascar where they live mostly on vegetation.