Features of visual function in the naked mole-rat Heterocephalus glaber.

The eyes and visual capacity of the naked mole-rat, Heterocephalus glaber, a subterranean rodent, were evaluated using anatomical, biochemical, and functional assays, and compared to other rodents of similar body size (mouse and gerbil). The eye is small compared to mouse, yet possesses cornea, lens, and retina with typical mammalian organization. The optic nerve cross-sectional area and fiber density are approximately 10% and approximately 50% that of gerbil, respectively.