A genus of rodents known as mole rats, found in Africa and the Middle East, famous for their unusual social structure similar to bees.
The word comes from Greek, possibly derived from 'aspalaktus' (mole rat). The exact etymology is uncertain, but it was the name classical naturalists used for these underground-dwelling rodents.
Naked mole rats (one aspalax species) are scientifically incredible—they're practically immortal by rodent standards and live in eusocial colonies like ants, with a 'queen' and workers. The ancient Greek name persists in scientific classification even though these creatures were exotic mysteries to Europe for centuries.
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