SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Have you ever wondered what a naked mole-rat looks like in person? Now’s your chance.

The Sacramento Zoo is celebrating the debut of a new colony of 15 nearly hairless, subterranean mammals tomorrow, complete with family-friendly activities and limited-edition “Rufus” trading cards.

The rodents are native to East Africa, have no external ears and are nearly blind because of the small size of their eyes. They spend their lives burrowed in tunnels, using sensitive smell, ground vibrations and air currents to navigate. They can move forward and backward at the same speed.

Some burrow systems dug by naked mole-rats can span up to two miles long, the zoo said. An ability to survive without oxygen for up to 18 minutes helps them live in the tunnels without much ventilati

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