Primary Assay — Naked Mole-Rat
Cooperative Tunnel Digging
Heterocephalus glaber
Naked mole-rats cooperatively excavate tunnel systems using a chain-gang relay system. Dig rate, bout duration, caste contribution, and coordination efficiency quantify cooperative labor division.
Quantitative Output
Measured Parameters
Every parameter is automatically tracked frame-by-frame in the ConductVision pipeline for Heterocephalus glaber.
| Parameter | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dig rate | cm/hour | Tunnel extension speed |
| Digging bout duration | min | Work episode length |
| Caste-specific contribution | % total | Worker vs non-worker effort |
| Chain-gang coordination | efficiency ratio | Multi-animal digging relay |
References
Citations for Cooperative Tunnel Digging
- Jarvis JU. (1981). Eusociality in a mammal: cooperative breeding in naked mole-rat colonies. Science, 212(4494), 571-573. PMID: 7209555
Compatible Equipment
Hardware for Naked Mole-Rat Research
Transparent Tunnel System
Cooperative digging observation
Colony Observation Setup
Caste behavior monitoring
Pain Testing Apparatus
Nociception assays
Thermal Gradient Chamber
Temperature preference
Food Transport Arena
Cooperative behavior quantification
Related Assays
Other Naked Mole-Rat Primary Assays
06
Cooperative Food Transport
Heterocephalus glaber
Colony members cooperatively transport food items to central stores. Transport frequency, group vs individual effort, an…
06
Caste-Specific Behavioral Repertoire
Heterocephalus glaber
Like eusocial insects, naked mole-rats show caste-specific behavior. Work time budgets, behavioral diversity, and queen-…
06
Pain Insensitivity
Heterocephalus glaber
Naked mole-rats are uniquely insensitive to capsaicin pain and acid pain — adaptations to their high-CO2 tunnel environm…
Run Cooperative Tunnel Digging on ConductVision
Our team will configure the protocol, camera rig, and analysis pipeline for your naked mole-rat facility.
