Nonworking mole rats spend most of their time with the queen. Little is known about them, but they may defend the colony, and the queen selects a nonworking male as a breeding partner. The naked mole rat mainly eats the roots of grasses, as well as other plant parts. These also provide most of its water needs. The mole rat finds all its food underground and comes up to the surface only in an emergency.
Workers forage for the whole colony, dropping off mouthfuls of food in special larder tunnels.
They even leave separate food deposits for the queen and nonworkers. The queen gives birth to about 10 offspring. Once weaned, they re fed partially chewed plant material. At about three months, the young go their separate ways. A few make it to the royal chamber, but the rest face a lifetime of hard work.